Butterfly Child
by KlonoaDreams
Summary: I was never a fan of irony, even more so after died. I should be pretty happy that I was given a second chance at life, except guess who's still irony's bitch? Yo. My name is Akimichi Chōko and I just wanna live... SI OC
1. Rebirth

A/N Is it too late for me to jump in on the SI OC bandwagon for Naruto? Yeah, inspiration came from _Dreaming of Sunshine_ by **Silver Queen** (READ IT), and many other SI OC Naruto fics. I know I have other fics to work on, but I have been itching to write a SI OC fic and decided to get it out of my system by making this fic. Also, standard disclaimer!

**Disclaimer for whole story: I don't own **_**Naruto**_** or anything related to the **_**Naruto**_** franchise! I am in no ways Masashi Kishimoto, nor will I ever be!**

I am but a simple, struggling college student just trying to make it through the end of the term with passing grade and some money…so please do not sue me. More information will be given in the ending A/N, so read on, my fellow readers!

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><p>...<p>

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Death was something I never thought would happened to me so early in life. I'm not sure what happened, but I'm guessing I must've missed a step—wait, no, I recall tripping on my shoelaces when I fell down those stairs. Everything after that was a blur.

Darkness greeted me after that. I don't like the dark. I'm freaking scared of it and yet…I feel safe. There was just something about this darkness that felt…comforting. There was warmth and I felt like I was floating…in water? There is seriously something wrong with this and yet…I don't mind. I was safe…and, frankly, that's all that mattered to me.

…

I don't know for how long I stayed in this state. Sometimes, I drifted off into what felt like a deep sleep. Other times, I was restless, having grown bored of the comforting darkness that gave me a sense of security. It was during those times that my restlessness seemed to have had an impact as every so often, I _swore_ I could hear voices.

The voices were oddly comforting, never harsh and always gentle. I felt loved…and I grew accustomed to reacting to the voices, if only to hear them continue speaking. Sometimes, I purposely enticed the voices with my restlessness. It was my only source of entertainment, and I loved it.

There was one thing I never anticipated and it was only until I was roused from my sleep by a small touch that made me realize I wasn't alone. I panicked and, for the first time since I found myself in comforting darkness, I was aware of my _movement_. Suddenly, the darkness didn't seem so safe anymore…and it was only until the voices returned that my sense of security returned.

Since then, I was vaguely aware that, within this darkness, there was another being with me. I don't know what it was, but it had a tendency to wake me up when I felt most comfortable. I tried to return the favor every once in a while. The result was ended with my unknown neighbor and me exchanging touches with each other. Somehow, this became somewhat of a routine as time passed. I grew used to my neighbor's presence. The darkness returned to its original comforting sensation.

Of course, it was not meant to last. The once comfortable and safe darkness suddenly became terrifyingly uncomfortable and dangerous. What felt like walls started to close in on me and my neighbor…and suddenly, my neighbor was gone. I was alone…and the walls kept closing in on me. It was a horrible thing to ever experience…

And then all of a sudden, there was a bright light. I had grown so used to the darkness that the sudden introduction of light practically _hurt_. The warmth I had grown so used to was now gone, replaced with the sudden introduction of a cold temperature. I could only see in a blur and I could hear crying. The sound was so shrill and startling for me, having grown used to hearing comforting and loving voices. It was only natural that I reacted with crying of my own.

I was terrified, scared of my new environment and traumatized by the loss of my old one. I could feel the familiar touch of hands on me, which felt so foreign to me at this point. I had no idea who it was, as I could not see, only hear and feel. And from what I could feel, these hands felt abnormally big. Or was it that I was abnormally small?

I couldn't confirm either, as I needed my sense of sight, which I lacked at the current moment. I felt so helpless, a familiar feeling that I never wish to experience…_ever_. All I could do was cry and I did. I wailed at the top of my lungs as I felt myself being handled.

I still had no idea what was going on. It was only I heard the sound of that familiar voice that I began to calm somewhat. At the same time, I felt something prod my mouth and, I don't know why, I latched onto it and began to suck.

It was around this time that I recalled something I learned in psychology about primitive reflexes, or more specifically, the rooting reflex. And from what I recalled about the rooting reflex, it involves breastfeeding and the automatic response an infant has when something strokes either their cheek or mouth. This gave me a clear understanding on what the hell had just happened.

I was a baby…guess that meant I was just born, by the manner in which I went from total darkness to sudden light. There are some things I should NOT have to go through, but apparently, fate hates me. That was probably a given considering I died falling down the stairs…via tripping on my shoelaces. I NEVER trip on my shoelaces…yet it happened and here I am, born again and most likely given a second chance…because reincarnation is actually a thing.

I guess I'll take this second chance. It's not that bad…course, I did leave behind my family and I just…I shouldn't think too much about it. This is a one-way ticket to depression and I'm not sure a newborn should be dealing with these sorts of feelings.

I feel warm…and safe. Everything wasn't so terrifying anymore. This is good…I should learn to appreciate what I have before shit hits the fan. And by that, I mean the joys of being a baby. Oh boy, I am not ready to go through teething—I could barely even stand my wisdom teeth when they started to grow back in my previous life! Wait…I'm forgetting something…if I was just born, then back there…

...

Welp, looks like I'm a twin, I mean, considering the fact that I had a neighbor back there and now I can only wonder if I'm an identical or fraternal twin. I'll probably have to wait that out a bit until I can see or at least HEAR something. I always wanted a twin, so I can pretty much guarantee this rebirth is a blessing.

Of course, then I started noticing that the people around me were speaking in a different language—is that Japanese I hear? Aww, shit, looks like I have to learn another language. Well, it could be worse… I wonder what my name is…

…

It took me over a month to gather what my name is. Chōko…that's what they called me. Chōji was the name of my fraternal twin brother, the very same one who happened to be older than I am by thirteen minutes. At the moment, Chōji was currently poking my cheek. I returned the action with a similar touch to his own cheek. I had a weird sense of déjà vu at that time.

I could hear laughter coming from my parents, those two most likely finding my interactions with my twin amusing. They always thought it was cute how Chōji and I acted around each other. At the moment, I found the swirl marks on my brother's cheeks to be extremely interesting.

Huh, red…wait…why does this seem familiar—OH HELL NO. I thought that Chōji's name was coincidental since my name is Chōko, but it seems far from it, considering the fact that those red markings on his cheeks _shouldn't_ be there!

I must have been fussy because I soon felt myself picked up by one of my parents—my father, most likely by the tone of his voice. As my father tried his best to calm me down, it was at that moment that I finally got a good look at my father's face. The second I saw the red hair and purple markings on his cheeks, I realized that my father was Akimichi Chōza.

I was part of the Akimichi clan…that meant I was in the Naruto world. WHY? I'm in a fucking world full of trained assassins! My life just started sucking…because my chance at a normal life just went out the window! Hell, I don't think I ever had a chance at a normal life because fucking ninjas!

With this realization in mind, I cried. Because reincarnation is a bitch and I want my old life back!

…

…

…

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><p>AN Yeah, to be honest, if I ever die young, I have a feeling it would have been because of the stairs. I've been warned about those stairs, which is why I have avoided ever running up or down them. Still, the fact that I have classes on the lower level of my university's library means it's either taking the elevator or stairs, and me not wanting to wait for the elevator, I take the stairs more often than I'd like.

Moving on, in case you're wondering why I went with the Akimichi clan, there happen to be various reasons that I will not say now, except…give some love to them. They're one of the Four Noble Clans of Konoha, and I really do like the Akimichi clan. And when you're a poor, struggling college student, food tends to be one of your biggest priorities after you are SURE you don't need your money for anything else or free food is what you REALLY go to meetings for. This is part of the main reason why I picked the Akimichi clan for this SI OC fic. Plus…butterflies. Yeah, I'll get into that in the next chapter.

So I'm pretty sure a lot of my usual readers are pissed at me for starting a new story, well, I kinda need another break fic, in which I actually DO pay attention to my grammar and crap. _I am Trainer_ is my break fic for fandom hopping, and I kinda need something to keep me writing so my skills don't decay when I update after a long break. Basically, this fic is to keep me writing when I'm not updating. I'm really tired of coming back after a short hiatus and my writing skills showing that it HAS been a while since I last updated…so please do excuse the sudden publishing of a new fic!

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this fic. I WILL try to avoid usual clichés of SI OC fics, and I do have ways of doing such, so if you find this fic interesting, then I hope you guys decide to stick with this story from start to finish (whenever the hell that will ever be, I WILL try to finish this fic). So until next time, readers! KD out! XD


	2. Alive

I cried a lot after that…of course, that's always been rather normal for me since I was born. I cried more often than Chōji did and, most of the time, it was because I was hungry. Never did really get why I was hungry a lot, but hey, the plus side of being born into the Akimichi clan meant that I don't have to worry about my weight!

Of course, I'm still a baby, but in the long run, this will be good. I mean, the Akimichi clan specializes in converting calories to chakra and, if not calories, then excess fat. I remember in my past life, my weight became a subject my family talked about after I entered college. Let me tell you about that freshman fifteen—it _exists_!

Though, I am still pissed off at the fact that I'm in a world full of fucking ninjas. I'm gonna die young because of this. Die…oh crap, I forgot how many other people are gonna die and this is sad because—people _die_! As obvious as it sounds, it's freaking true!

This sucks even more because I never got to Shippuden in the manga, so I'm pretty much clueless as to what happens in the future. The farthest I've gotten was when Tsunade appeared into the frame and Naruto learning how to use the Rasengan. After that, I only know bits and pieces of information that involve the death of certain characters and plot twists…lots of plot twists. Of course, it's not as useful as it sounds when you haven't a crap of an idea about the details.

In terms of the anime, I started from Shippuden and reached a certain point from there on, but everything prior to Shippuden is a blank filled with only humor I got from Naruto the Abridged series. I have a feeling I'm gonna be making references at this rate. It's gonna be my only source of entertainment to make my existence in this world bearable.

At least I have a twin so being a baby won't be _that_ bad. I mean, don't get me wrong, being able to sleep and eat is fun and all (diapers, on the other hand, are _not_ fun), but being a baby is boring as fuck. One of the things I kept through reincarnation is my ADHD.

At least, I _think_ I have ADHD…I'm not exactly sure, but I do tend to get restless a lot and my attention span is extremely short, though that could be because I'm a baby…I'm gonna keep an eye out for any symptoms so I can clarify that. Well, in any case, Chōji at least makes everything less boring for me. I like Chōji…

…

…

I think I may have adjusted too quickly to the fact that I was born into the Naruto world. Then again, when you're a baby with the mind of a nineteen-year-old college (actually university, but same difference) girl who still only had a few weeks before winter break…it isn't THAT bad. I don't have to worry about classes anymore or money being a problem, because that was a thing and I NEEDED financial aid…because college is fucking expensive.

I was rather lucky I didn't take up any loans my first year, even more so my second year because I didn't get a scholarship and, unlike the year before, I actually _got_ financial aid and had leftover grant money…of which a good portion of it was spent on textbooks. Even so, the question of how long that was going to last still was a main concern for me. So now that that was out of the way, due to me dying…I don't really mind my current circumstances.

I mean, I'm part of the Akimichi clan, it could have been worse. I could have been born as Maito Gai's daughter. God knows I would have cried if THAT happened to me. Actually, I think it would have been even worse if I was born in the Hyuuga clan, never mind which part of the clan—actually, I'm taking that into account, now. Still, Main House or not, being a Hyuuga would SUCK.

Of course, then there's the Uchiha clan—yeah, that's still a thing…Probably the second worst clan to be born into after the Hyuuga clan because of the whole Uchiha clan massacre. I would've been killed before I even had a chance to live out my second chance at life, because thank you Itachi! And yes, I know the reasons behind it, but still! I love life…and even if he DIDN'T kill me, it's just…I'd rather AVOID that situation. BAD TIMES.

And don't get me started on the possible timelines to be born in…Being Chōji's twin sister at least gave me an idea where I am in the timeline, so THAT gave me some sort of relief. Kinda funny how close my birthday in my past life was to Chōji's. I mean, it's off by literally twenty-four hours. I'm actually quite happy about that. The emerald is still my birthstone and I'm still a Taurus! It's the little things that make me happy…

Aside from the constant crying, I was a happy baby because, again, I _love_ being alive! Because I AM alive! I am very much alive…and I intend to stay that way. Just…being alive is a feeling you learn to appreciate after being reborn. I am okay with this. I will learn to deal with the future some other time after I at least get a chance to enjoy my second chance at life.

In other words, I am procrastinating the events to come. I'm not going to lie, I had a bad habit of procrastinating in my past life and I have a feeling it will be just as bad in this life. Of course, I have a feeling that'll eventually come to an end at some point, so I best enjoy procrastinating while I can.

…

…

When Chōji and I were five months old, **it** happened. I had once thought I knew what true evil was…then I _felt _**it**. It was overwhelming, it was terrifying, it was downright malevolent, and full of hatred. I never liked being in a situation full of negativity and being unable to escape from it was _suffocating_. It felt like I was being choked every time I breathed.

I was screaming, as was Chōji. We were just _so_ **scared**…I thought it would never end. Even as our mother, Ageha, tried her best to comfort us, our screams would not stop. It was something I truly _never_ wish to experience ever again…

…

I later learned, via listening, that the Kyuubi attacked and whatever scrap of information I had on the tragedies that had occurred on that day, because, despite me being practically _the_ shittiest excuse of a Naruto fan, I still knew what happened…and I cried. I cried because there was not a damn thing I could do to have prevented anything that had happened on that day.

Sometimes, it just sucked being a five-month-old baby. I just learned that I was going to have to cope with a lot of things that came my way…and there's not a damn thing I can do about it. Well, not now, at least…but until I CAN do something—wait. What exactly CAN I do?

And will there be consequences?

…

…

Apparently, I have a lot of thinking to do before I can TRY to do ANYTHING. Maybe I should just focus on living…yeah, that's a good plan. It's perfect! It's…gonna be difficult because I was born in the Akimichi clan. Chances are, I'm gonna be training to become a ninja the minute I am capable of doing such. Curse you, shinobi life!

Let's see what the estimate of when that'll be…well, crap. I have no idea what age children are when they enter the Academy. Fuuuuck—I'm just gonna wing it. Focus on crawling, then walking and, for the love of god, when I can walk, focus on potty training because this diaper life is fucking mortifying.

That sounds like a plan! Wait, what about talking…?

…

Eh, I'll get to it when I get to it. Don't babies start usually saying stuff by the time they're six months old? Huh, I'm almost six months old…I wonder what my first word will be, because I haven't a thought as to WHAT to say since I can't speak Japanese…_yet_!

If there's one thing I learned, the younger you are, the faster you learn and I'm gonna take advantage of that the minute the opportunity comes by. Though, I should avoid making myself look like a prodigy because the last thing I need is unwanted attention.

'Course, knowing me, I'll probably end up getting unwanted attention because irony absolutely _adores_ me! I mean, just look at the way I died! Falling down the stairs because I tripped on my untied shoelaces…something that never once happened before and the first time it did, was also the time I died. As if that wasn't enough, I also died days before the final Naruto chapter came out and if that wasn't enough, then it was at least a month before the final Naruto movie came out.

Not like that would have made any difference in my current situation as, instead of catching up to the Naruto manga as I originally _planned_ on doing when I heard the series was coming to an end, I decided that _Jojo's Bizarre Adventure_ was _much_ more important than that. Be it, I had been planning for quite a long time to start reading _Jojo's Bizarre Adventure_ and it was only until I got out for the summer after my first year of college that I started actually reading the manga, after years of procrastination. Despite that, the fact still stands that my decision to prioritize Stands over Ninjas ended up screwing my chances of gaining knowledge that could have proved useful in my current situation.

…

…I'm never gonna let myself hear the end of this, am I? This is _definitely_ going to be a fun life and by fun, I mean traumatizing. I best make the most of it by enjoying the little moments and I just realized how distracted I still get, so I guess the ADHD possibility still stands. I'm still keeping an eye out for any symptoms because you can never be _too_ sure.

What are the chances that reincarnation ended up recycling my brain? Is that even a possibility? Knowing my luck, that's probably my case or I'm an exception. Whatever it is, it doesn't change the fact that I'm irony's bitch.

C'est la vie.

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><p>AN Whoa, what's this? Another chapter? Holy shit, two updates within a day! Haven't had THAT happen in a while…anyways, I always wondered if reincarnation would recycle your brain, especially if you keep your memories of your past life. I mean, if there's one thing college psychology has taught me, it's that the brain does a CRAP ton of things…and don't get me started on the different parts of the brain! And before I forget, did you know there are three subtypes of ADHD? If you didn't, then let me tell you guys what they are. The three subtypes of ADHD are: Predominantly hyperactive-impulsive, Predominantly inattentive (this is ADD, which, since 1994, has been changed formally to predominantly inattentive in the new Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition), and Combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive, which is what I have, in case you guys didn't know.

And since this is a SI OC, that means Chōko also has ADHD! Yeah…I wonder if that amps up the difficulty for the shinobi life…well, we'll find out. And YES, I decided to start reading _Jojo's Bizarre Adventure_ instead of catching up to _Naruto_! Like, I'm nearly done with part 3 of _Jojo_, but I _STILL_ haven't gotten any farther in the _Naruto_ manga! Because I decided that reading about Stands and music references were MUCH more important than ninjas! And look where THAT got Chōko!

So basically, for an SI OC fic, Chōko is by _far_ the worst person to be given the job at possibly changing events…even more so because Chōko is crap at planning ahead of time, because she'll cross that bridge when she gets to it. Still doesn't mean she won't try. Whether or not she'll be successful is the question that will eventually be answered.

Anyways, irony is gonna be one of the main themes about this fic, both in a humorous perspective and serious perspective. And, out of all the possible clans to be born into, I'd considered the Akimichi clan one of the safest clans _ever_. Also, just to clarify things, Chōko ended up dying like a few days before the last Naruto chapter came out, which would be on November 10th… And YES, if I actually decided to catch up on ANYTHING before THEN, it would STILL be _Jojo's Bizarre Adventure_, because I'm almost done with part 3 and I want to get to part 4 because there is a Stand named Killer Queen. What is my life?

So I hoped you enjoyed Chōko's misery, because I certainly seem to enjoy it from a humorous perspective…I'm such a sadist. It's the way I work sometimes…also, happy Halloween! Hope you guys get a LOT of candy today! Until next time, readers! KD out! XD


	3. Metabolism

The first word to come out of my mouth was, "Eat!" Not mom…not dad…but EAT. I was one hungry little baby and I wanted that to be known. Of course, the way I yelled it out to Ageha and Chōza made them burst into laughter, because I caught them off guard. They weren't expecting that—_I_ wasn't expecting that, but I was freaking hungry! Sometimes, I surprise myself.

Then Chōji's first word turned out to be "Food!" and I wasn't that surprised anymore. Though, I AM surprised his first word wasn't, "Eat!" like me, since that's all I ever said and I did NOT shut up until I was fed. Though, considering how much I said that word…I ate a lot. Chōji ate a lot. We both ate a lot…and we were _happy_ about it.

Then I began teething and everything went downhill after that because it was the _worst_ experience ever. It aches…it freaking itches—and it HURTS. The annoying growth of my wisdom teeth was _nothing_ compared to the fact that I have a bunch of teeth emerging from my gums. I chewed on everything, effectively ruining a small number of toys that belonged to me. I was glad when it was all over, or at least, the pain and the freaking itch. However, if there was one thing I'd like to say about the entire experience, it's that Chōji _sucks_…because he went through teething without too much trouble.

…

By the time Chōji and I turned one, we were already walking and talking a whole lot more. I didn't have many notable memories as a one-year-old that DIDN'T consist of me getting into everything and walking up to everyone for the sake of food. As I said, I was one hungry baby and if there was one thing I didn't like sharing, it was food. Sometimes, I made exceptions if it was Chōji who wanted some of my food. Anyone else who asked could go take a hike.

As fraternal twins, Chōji and I appeared identical at first, but as the year went by, differences began to set us two apart from one another. It was subtle at first, but by our second birthday, there was no way to mistake Chōji and me for each other.

Here's the main reason why for this. While Chōji gained weight, I…remained relatively the same, despite the fact that I ate a lot. This was something that puzzled the whole Akimichi clan. I wasn't exactly aware of this as I never paid much attention to my appearance, but mostly at food because hunger. It was only as I was eating the food that my father had given me after I had all but demanded it that I overheard someone talking about my body that I took a moment to look at myself.

I was quite thin—at least, in comparison to Chōji. He was big, while I was small…and there was something wrong with that. I ate more than Chōji ever did and I was somehow smaller than he was… Of course, I was more active than Chōji, so there's that explanation. I didn't really think too much about it after that.

It was only when I turned three years old that it became an issue. The only fat I had was baby fat and that was it. I couldn't gain any weight and even if I did, it wasn't much. I still ate a lot and I don't think I was going to stop this habit anytime soon because I was hungry quite often. I wasn't sick and I seemed healthy enough, but my parents were worried.

One trip to the hospital later and nothing too much out of the ordinary was pointed out. I was healthy, which was good, but I had a fast metabolism. I burned more calories at rest, which made gaining weight difficult. With that pointed out, my weight was now under constant supervision, as I now had to keep it at a healthy level.

Because there are a lot of problems that come with being underweight, a potential problem that exists for me, thanks to my fast metabolism. Whoever said having a fast metabolism was a blessing has no idea about the troubles of gaining weight…and, as far as I know, being part of the Akimichi clan meant gaining weight was a necessity.

An Akimichi with a fast metabolism…it was unheard of, but it existed. And guess who ended up being the center of unwanted attention because of that? Yo.

The irony of the situation was practically unbearable. The one fucking time it was actually okay for me to gain weight, _this_ happens. And if that wasn't enough, in my past life, I knew at least four people who _had_ fast metabolisms. As I said before, irony just _absolutely_ **adores** me!

Well, if there's one good thing about being born into the Akimichi clan, it's that I don't have to worry about food. Of course, it's still pretty damn difficult coping with a fast metabolism now that Chōji and I have started training. The training was meant to help us adjust to what we were eventually going to be experiencing at the Academy—and yes, fast metabolism or not, I was _still_ going to live the shinobi life because my parents believe in equal opportunity.

I should be happy about this, but the fact that training involved _running_ just made me hate the fact that I was going to be doing a LOT of that as a ninja. Once again, let's think on the bright side, Chōko…it could be worse. Chōza could be Maito Gai and I doubt Maito Gai knows the limits of a three-year-old girl.

Yup…I'm still not happy about running, especially since my fast metabolism isn't really _helping_. Hunger does not, I repeat, does _NOT_ feel good… Food is definitely going to be my biggest concerns, isn't it? Goddammit, as if I didn't have _enough_ of that as a college student…

…

…

…

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><p>AN Another short chapter, but eh, decided this chapter was the best chapter to explain the theme of irony this story has. So let's talk about Chōko's fast metabolism…were she in any other clan, it wouldn't be that much of a problem…but she was born into the Akimichi clan, a clan capable of converting calories into chakra, so Chōko is effectively SOL in this situation. That doesn't mean she's not out of the run to become a ninja. In fact, the only thing that fast metabolism will do to her is just exempt her from learning any of the Akimichi clan's techniques since, while she might have the high chakra reserves needed to use the techniques, she'll have trouble maintaining her current calories AND the calories needed to be converted into chakra, should she need to do so. So it's a pretty risky situation for Chōko.

So she'll be able to convert calories into chakra…as a last resort. But yeah, moving on from that, this is pretty much the path I wanted to take with Chōko. I mean, I COULD go the normal Akimichi way…or I could effectively fuck everything up for Chōko for the sake of implementing a hard mode difficulty on her. As you can see, I have made my decision.

And if you're wondering about that last comment about being a college student, as a college student, you learn quite quickly that food does become an issue. This is why whenever there are any meetings and free food happens to be mentioned, you can guarantee that people WILL show up. It's also guaranteed that whenever there is leftover food that is given out for free, like free pizza, it WILL disappear within minutes. We're just _that_ hungry…ahaha.

So yeah, I do in fact know at least four people with fast metabolisms and they are my friends. One of them, I have known for the longest, has always been telling me how hard it was for her to gain weight. She eats a lot, but she just doesn't seem to gain weight. When she actually DOES gain weight, she's pretty happy about it. I think she finally made it over a hundred pounds? I think she has…I'm not too sure. I haven't talked to my friend in a while, what with school getting in the way.

Anyways, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! This is it for now, so until next time readers! KD out! XD


	4. Shikamaru

Another year went by and Chōji and I were now four years old. Chōji was still putting on weight while I, on the other hand, wasn't, but I was eating a lot more than I did last year. Mother had started increasing my portions of food and even started teaching me about what exactly was edible outside of home… Because it turns out Mama has a bunch of survival skills and knowledge that are _definitely_ quite useful to my predicament.

And guess what? Due to my fast metabolism, that meant I couldn't afford to be picky about my food. It was because of this, that I even managed to get past my hatred of onions. Seriously, the things I do when I'm hungry, which is practically all the time. I even resort to snatching Chōji's potato chips, which he shares with me, regardless of whether he wants to or not. It's when I eat the last potato chip when he actually gives a damn.

So during the past year Chōza had Chōji and me running, my speed improved while Chōji was still slow. This was the affect our difference in build had on us. Of course, the only reason my speed even improved was because I worked for it. The faster I finished my laps, the sooner I could sit down and eat (and stop running). Once again, the things I do when I'm hungry…and _hate_ running.

Goddamn, I _hate_ this fast metabolism. I'm always hungry and sometimes, I end up scavenging around the area for anything edible, like roots—and YES, I eat roots. AGAIN, the things I do when I'm hungry. More often than not, I'm usually seen with something edible in my possession. It's a wonder I haven't resorted to actually stealing food—then again, that'd get me in trouble and I'd rather stay out of trouble. I get enough unwanted attention as is being the only member of the Akimichi clan without a heavyset build. One of these things is not like the other…and that just so happens to be me!

I don't even get picked on as much as Chōji because people keep forgetting I'm part of the Akimichi clan! Not that I don't mind not being picked on, but I'd prefer it if people, mostly children, didn't badmouth my clan and insult Chōji _right_ in front of my face! If I weren't so damn worried about getting in trouble with Father, I'd beat up anyone who badmouthed my clan and picked on Chōji. Of course, that would be bad, as I've inherited the Akimichi clan's physical strength, which means I REALLY gotta watch my strength, or else stuff will break…like sliding doors. Let me tell you about accidentally breaking sliding doors—IT'S EMBARRASSING.

Though, I guess there ARE some good things I can at least be happy about that don't involve my fast metabolism and people badmouthing my clan. One of those things is that parents are willing to let their children roam Konohagakure on their own, most likely due to the amount of ninja guarding the village. Hey, I enjoy my sweet freedom after a day's worth of training. Sweet, sweet freedom…

On the rare occasions where I'm NOT eating, I'm usually either playing games with Chōji and a group of children, who have been tolerable so far, or just sitting around, watching them play. I usually resort to the latter when there are an uneven number of children and the game requires us to split into teams. Rather than let everyone fight over who has to sit out, I do so voluntarily just so the game can get started…because I know those kids would want Chōji to sit out.

They haven't said anything yet, but I _know_ they will eventually…because this is how Chōji and Shikamaru became friends. I'm still waiting for him, by the way. Where the hell is he anyways?

…

Oh right, he's lazy as fuck…Is he even out here?! Or is he at home, being even MORE of a sloth than he is outside of home? Heh, sloths…sloths are cute. They're even cuter when they're just babies—and I'm getting distracted.

_Growl._

Welp, looks like my stomach is growling again. I guess I better go find a comfortable spot to eat my snacks, then. God, I HATE my fast metabolism—

"You can't play ninja with us!" WHO THE FUCK SAID THAT?!

I quickly turned my attention to a boy with blocky purple tattoos on his cheek. I don't exactly know his name—hell, I haven't even bothered to learn any of these kids' names! I remember faces first before names, so I'm only limited to learning a few names at a time—and that's _if _I'm lucky!

"Why can't I play ninja?" I heard Chōji ask.

"'Cuz whichever team that's got you will definitely lose!" was the boy's response. "You're so slow!"

Must. Resist. _Urge_ to **maim**…

"But we got odd numbers…Even games like shougi are only fun when we play with equal numbers of pieces."

I had to suppress a squeal when I saw Shikamaru defending Chōji. I mean, about fucking time _something_ actually happened! I was worried I was going to have to go find Shikamaru and drag his lazy ass to Chōji.

"Having useless pieces is just as good as having none at all!" the boy with the blocky purple tattoos retorted.

"You know, it's not nice to talk about yourself like that." I wasn't even thinking when I said that. _Shit_!

"Chōko!" Chōji looked sternly at me.

"S-Sorry…" I seriously did not mean to say that…

"What'd you say, skinny bitch?!" Great, now I pissed off that boy—SKINNY BITCH?!

…

If it hadn't been for Chōji, I would have gotten into a fight with that boy. I was pissed off, but happy that Chōji intervened when he did. I need to learn to control my anger…pfft, so much for those anger management classes I took in my past life. Then again, I've always been impulsive…still rather glad I have Chōji this time around.

I don't know where Shikamaru is, but at the current moment, Chōji and I were spending some quality time with Dad. He's always willing to listen to us.

"And they said that the Akimichi clan has only dumb fatasses…" Chōji recounted the insults aimed at our clan. "Everyone says that…"

"Hmm…" Chōza listened intently. "I see…"

"They also called me a skinny bitch…" I said before stuffing a handful of potato chips into my mouth. "I'm not _that_ skinny, am I?"

"You're fine, Chōko," Chōza said softly as he ruffled my hair.

Chōza is the best father someone like me could ever have and I am extremely happy about that. It's just that I don't appreciate the freaking irony I'm experiencing. In my past life, excluding my family, no one ever picked on me for being overweight and the only reason my family even picked on me in the first place was as an incentive to fix it because health reasons that involved my mother being diabetic and the issue of it potentially being genetic. Be it, they weren't exactly picking on me, it's more that they wouldn't get off my case because I wasn't exactly living a healthy lifestyle and they had reasonable concerns. Still, I didn't let it get to me. In my current life as Akimichi Chōko, the one time I get picked on because I don't have the typical Akimichi build, it actually gets to me to a certain extent…I just hate this stupid irony.

I think I might have spaced out after that because the next thing I knew, Shikamaru showed up and both he and Chōji were getting along quite nicely, if I do say so myself…

"This is my sister," Chōji suddenly said as he gestured at me.

I blinked once, then twice before I realized that Shikamaru was looking at me. "Uh…Chōko—I'm Chōko…"

Shikamaru nodded. "In case you weren't paying attention, I'm Nara Shikamaru."

"O-Okay…" Fuuuck, I _forgot_ how awkward I was at talking to people I have only just met when I wasn't yelling at them for making fun of my clan… I felt my face heat up as I held out my bag of potato chips to Shikamaru and asked, "C-Chip?"

…

Despite my lacking social skills, I managed to make friends with Shikamaru that day. I wasn't that close to him as Chōji was, but I at least felt comfortable around Shikamaru instead of shy and awkward, as I had been when I first met him. So I considered Shikamaru a close friend after that…I'm not sure how he felt about me, because I'm pretty sure he considers just about _everything_ "troublesome" and I _can_ be annoying, but Chōji says Shikamaru doesn't find me annoying, so I'm fine knowing that…

So now that Chōji and Shikamaru were best friends for life, that meant I was back to waiting for something to happen. That something happened to be the Academy and I think they started accepting children once they were six years old? I have no fucking idea, but if that was the case, I had like two years to wait until then…

The Akimichi clan still does in fact believe in equal opportunity, so I already know I was going to be signed up for the Academy. Even if I couldn't use chakra, they would have still had faith in my abilities. I mean, I'm physically strong (and accidentally breaking the occasional sliding door) and fast…and I could probably learn things over time that could compensate for my inability to use chakra, so there's that. I could be like Rock Lee 2.0…minus having Maito Gai as a sensei and having strong eyebrow game.

Speaking of chakra, I actually have no idea if I can or cannot use it. I mean, I don't feel anything out of the usual, and isn't chakra supposed to be a form of life energy that all individuals produce to some degree and require to survive? Going by that logic, that meant I should also have chakra flowing through my body…so why aren't I feeling anything? Or maybe you can only feel chakra once you start using it or only _when_ you're using it…?

…

Ugh, I'm gonna have to wait until they start teaching me how to use it to find out about that, aren't I? I just hope it doesn't hurt. Please, for the love of god, do _NOT_ let using chakra hurt…

…

…

A few months before Chōji and I turned five years old, Chōza decided to teach us how to use chakra and the question of whether or not I could use it was finally answered: I can. And it didn't hurt—in fact, it kinda felt like petting a kitten…warm and soft, in that sense. It was a nice feeling—oh, and apparently, you can only feel chakra when you use it, so that explains _why_ I haven't felt anything at all. I'm learning a lot of new things and I am totally okay with that.

I also learned that the minimum age to enter the Academy was five or turning five within the end of the year, meaning it was only a matter of time before Chōji and I entered the Academy. That probably explained why Chōza decided to start teaching Chōji and I how to use chakra…I have a feeling we're gonna be part of the group that is ahead of our class.

I hope I'm in the same class as Chōji and Shikamaru, if only because I am extremely afraid of being in a class full of strangers. I just feel more comfortable when I'm in a learning environment with friends. It just makes it easier on me…

Wait a second, I'm a girl…don't I have to take kunoichi classes…?

…

…

Fuck.

…

…

…

* * *

><p>AN If you're wondering why Chōko reacted the way she did to taking kunoichi classes, it's because that means she has to be in a class full of girls she does not know…_alone_. Chōko is shy and awkward around people she doesn't know. It takes her time before she can act in her usual manner, so until she actually feels comfortable, she is like a completely different person. Yelling at people and actually socializing with them are two different things. And the reason Chōko was even able to play with the other kids is because, think of it this way…you know how you are sometimes assigned to work with others in a group project and you have to put up with it? It's like that with Chōko.

Chōko has literally been putting up with the kids, waiting patiently for the day that Shikamaru would stand up for Chōji when the other kids wouldn't let him play. Chōko can put up with people…socializing, on the other hand, is difficult for her, even more so, when she is prone to saying things on an impulse. Part of that impulse comes from the ADHD, which can in fact have an effect on people's social skills. As I have ADHD, I take the time to learn more about it and this is what I ended up finding out:

_People with ADHD more often have difficulties with social skills, such as social interaction and forming and maintaining friendships. This is true for all subtypes. People with ADHD have attention deficits, which cause difficulty processing verbal and nonverbal language, which can negatively affect social interaction. They also may drift off during conversations, and miss social cues._

I can basically confirm this fact with my own experience (keep in mind, it could be different for other people with ADHD, everyone is different). What does this mean? It means Chōko is anything BUT a social butterfly (ahahaa, look at the irony there) because of that experience. This WILL have an effect on the story.

Also, fair warning to everyone: I take ADHD _VERY_ seriously. Just putting that up there since I had a very bad experience with a reviewer who basically assumed everyone with ADHD was the same and just…it's a touchy subject. It involves someone who used information off people they knew with ADHD and using it as a basis for another's ADHD experience, which is something you should NEVER do, as that is something psychology would label as a case study and case studies are NOT representative. Normally, I would excuse something like that, but the reviewer had a pretty condescending tone, and that wasn't nice. There's a difference between making an honest mistake and being a jerk. That being said, I hope everyone understands that everyone is different…and that Chōko is not a completely accurate example of someone with a fast metabolism.

So seeing as this A/N has been going long enough, I'll stop for now. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I'll try to prioritize in making longer chapters, but I can't make promises! So until next time, readers! KD out! XD


	5. Butterfly

The Academy usually begins accepting new students in the spring. It's…a little weird, if only because I am _waaay_ too used to starting school in the late summer or fall. Of course, I should have probably expected this, due to the way the education system worked in Japan…that being the school year beginning in spring (April) and ending in spring (March). I wonder if the Academy lets students out for summer vacation…tch, doubt it. I'd consider that sort of thing exclusive to civilians, and if that is the case, then _lucky_ them. I'm only speculating, of course…but it does seem pretty likely for that to happen.

Anyways, the first day of school (as I like to call it) consisted of an introduction ceremony (orientation, most likely) and then the assigning of students to classes. As my surname began with the letter A (for awesome), I was quick to find out that I was, in fact, in the same class as Chōji, which assured me that Shikamaru would be there. So I'm pretty fucking hyped, if a bit scared that my existence in general might cause some sort of deviation. I mean, nothing much really changed, as everything was going according to continuity, but I was still worried about that changing…

By the way, textbooks…I didn't like them in my previous life, and I still don't like them as Akimichi Chōko. At least I didn't have to buy them… Man, I really missed having free textbooks… And I know I should be listening to Iruka-sensei as he's explaining the rules, but the contents of this textbook are just so intriguing…

"Chōko, pay attention," Chōji said.

I made a face as I closed my textbook and focused my attention on Iruka-sensei…but not before slapping Shikamaru on the back of the head, effectively waking him up from his nap. Shikamaru was annoyed, I was amused, and Chōji just hoped we didn't get in any trouble. We didn't.

Then lunchtime came around and I was really hyped out about that…I'm always hyped up when food is involved and Mama doesn't go easy on the portions with me, so I am _very_ happy…and then I saw Naruto on his own, watching groups of children socializing with each other as they ate their lunches. Now I wasn't exactly keen on befriending Naruto, because that meant getting myself involved in a very risky situation that was potentially changing the events that were to come. I just…should I really change events with the limited knowledge I have on this world?

…

This is what happens when I don't think things through. I'm doing it at the last minute as I stare at Naruto being very sad-looking child…Fuck, I see too much of myself in him and—_oh_, don't tell me he doesn't have his own lunch. That's it. My conscience isn't going to let me ignore the kid any longer. Here's to me, digging my own grave…

…

…

Okay, Chōko, don't screw this up. Don't screw this up— "Why don't you have your own lunch?"

Dammit!

"H-Huh?!" Naruto seems to space out just as often as I do…

"Uuuhhh…hi?" I could feel my face heating up from embarrassment. I wanted to say something, but I was worried about making an idiot out of myself by doing that. I did enough of _that_ during the final years of my elementary school life in my past life…ugh, bad times.

"O-Oh, hello…" Naruto returned my rather awkward greeting just as awkwardly.

…

From what I have gathered from my first encounter with Naruto is that he can also be just as awkward and shy as I can be. It is _painful_ and I need to fix this, but I already find it difficult as is to just even _talk_ to Naruto. Okay, Chōko, think…what is a good way to break the ice?

…

…

"F-Food?" I held out my giant bento box to Naruto.

Naruto's stomach growled audibly in response, his face reddening as he quickly nodded his head. "Y-Yeah…"

I'm still afraid that my actions could potentially have consequences, but I'm at least assured by the look on Naruto's face as I shared my lunch with him that it would be worth it. He just looks so happy, that it practically _hurts_. When was the last time the kid was ever happy? I can't leave him alone…I just can't.

…

You know, as outgoing as Naruto had seemed in the anime and manga, the real deal is anything _but_ that…at least, right now. Naruto was just as awkward and shy as I was… Maybe it had to do with the fact that I just walked up to him and offered him food… I seriously doubt anyone has ever done that to him, so I must have caught him by surprise. Still, Naruto does seem afraid that, at any given moment, I might leave him, from the way he keeps looking at me.

"I'm not gonna leave," I suddenly said.

"You're not?!" Oh my god, Naruto, stop making me have _feels_.

"Nope." I'm not changing my mind. "Now shut up and eat."

And on this fine, spring day, I made friends with Naruto. Believe it.

…

…

Chōji and Shikamaru didn't follow me when I walked up to Naruto. I didn't notice that until Naruto and I were nearly done eating. I was a little surprised about this at first, but then I remembered that it was normal for Chōji and Shikamaru to let me go on my own. If I wanted them to come along, then all I'd have to do was say something. That's just how it was.

I'm at least happy that I made friends with Naruto. Like, I actually _made_ a friend on my own, with no help from Chōji. I think this is a great improvement for me…I feel accomplished.

I also managed to make it through what I considered to be the Academy's equivalent to physical education, which took place after lunch. I am so glad that Chōji and I went through training since we were three years old…It actually paid off! Still doesn't mean the class wasn't exhausting…

And that's how my first day of school went. I managed to embarrass a bunch of parents who were glaring at Naruto when they came to pick up their children. Ah, how I love being part of one of the Four Noble Clans…it gives my question of, "Why is everyone looking at Naruto like that?" impact. Aah, it feels glorious to stand up for my friend…

By the way, my parents were a bit surprised to find out that I befriended Naruto, but they didn't say anything. And when I told Ageha about Naruto not having his own lunch, I ended up going to school the next day with an even bigger bento box. It's nice to see how supportive Mama is of my friendship with Naruto…even more so because my father doesn't seem to mind that I've befriended Naruto.

As for Chōji, he just seems rather pleased for some reason. I don't know why, though…but I could swear he was smiling when I decided to sit with Naruto instead of with him and Shikamaru. Whatever the reason is, it doesn't matter as I found a new problem with Naruto.

Naruto can't read.

God. Dammit. I really have my work cut out for myself, don't I? Uurgh, I know what I'm doing during lunchtime…

…

…

Teaching Naruto how to read should have been an easy task for me, but there was one issue making this an incredibly easy task: I am a shitty reader. Like, I can barely even make out what I'm reading in this freaking textbook. I'm not completely illiterate, but I still have problems reading. I put this down as me not knowing Japanese, as my brain is probably hardwired to read mainly English, a good amount of Spanish, and a little French. And I know that I was an avid reader in my past life, so I do find it rather ironic that I have a hard time reading as Akimichi Chōko…then again, I didn't pick up an actual interest in reading until I entered the third grade…

Of course, as the week went by and I continued trying to teach Naruto how to read during lunchtime, Chōji and Shikamaru eventually decided to join in on our reading lesson on the fourth day and let me just say, Shikamaru is a godsend.

As lazy as he is, Shikamaru is good at helping others…when he wants to. Anyways, it was thanks to Shikamaru that Naruto was _finally_ learning how to read. Meanwhile with me, I was still having issues with reading and it was only until the end of the week, in which Shikamaru told Chōji something that he eventually told Chōza that I got taken to hospital and found out that I had hyperopia. Long story short, I needed glasses.

And when I came to school next week wearing a pair of round glasses, I became the center of attention. Lovely…wanna know what sucks? In my past life, I never needed glasses and because of that, I was the _only_ one in my family who _didn't_ wear glasses…_yet_, my siblings and parents would add. Ugh, I should have never made fun of my nephew's reading glasses…I only did it because he was bothering me! I regret everything…

I'm at least happy I got to pick my glasses, but I seriously don't appreciate the number of children who keep trying to steal my glasses. Naruto was the exception, however, but I made him give me back my glasses immediately after that. One good thing that came out of my glasses: I could read well. Yay for being able to read! I'm happy…

And then I found out kunoichi classes began that day and any shred of happiness I had suddenly went out the window when I realized I was gonna be stuck in a class full of girls I didn't know. Naruto wished me luck. I thanked him…because I was gonna need it.

…

…

I really like flowers. That is something that won't be changing any time soon. So when Suzume-sensei sent us girls to go pick flowers, I was happy to oblige. Of course, I was absolute shit at flower arrangement, or ikebana. I would've gone to Ino for help, but she was currently busy defending Sakura from Ami and her clique. Fuck, I am not good at being social…

I was on my own, picking flowers…_alone_. Please don't look at me like that, Ami—no, no, _no_!

"Hey, aren't you part of the Akimichi clan?" Why yes, Ami, isn't it obvious? "You sure don't look like it. What are they doing? Starving you?"

Oh, fuck you. "None of your business, bitch."

Shit.

"What did you call me?" Ami was pissed.

"N-Nothing!" Dammit, Chōko, this is why you need to think before you say crap!

"Liar!" One of Ami's friends, Fuki, yelled before grabbing onto my hair and pulling it…_hard_.

Ow, ow, ow, _**ow**_! "Let go!"

This is part of the reason I hate having long hair. Course, the only reason I haven't cut it yet is because Mama seems to have fun brushing my hair every day and it gives me a sense of nostalgia when she does it because this is what my mother did in the past life… The only difference was that in my past life, my mother struggled with me every time she brushed my hair because my hair was curly and tangled easily and I cried whenever my mom accidentally pulled my hair. Then I decided to cut my hair and ever since then, I've taken to brushing my hair…I miss my past mom and the braid she put my hair in…

"Ow!" God dammit, let _go_ of my hair! "H-Hey!"

Another of Ami's friends, Kasumi, took my glasses. "Can't see now, can you?!"

Actually, I can, except everything close is a little blurry, but I'm not saying anything! "Give 'em back—ow!"

"If you get on your knees and say you're sorry, then I'll tell them to let go." Ami sneered at me.

"Go fall in a pit!" Fuck you, Ami! I have pride! Pride that will most likely get me killed one day…but pride, nonetheless!

"Why you—!" Ami scowled. "Kasumi-chan, break her glasses!"

Hey, I just got those! "Stop!"

"Y-You're going to g-get in trouble," a soft, stuttering voice said.

Of all the things that could've happen, little Hinata trying to stop Ami and her friends from picking on me was one of those things I could have _never_ predicted. I was honestly baffled that this little soft-spoken girl with self-esteem issues and lacking confidence could find the strength to speak out like this. Even Ami and her friends weren't expecting it. It took Ami a good minute to finally find her voice, having been rendered speechless by Hinata's sudden spike in courage.

"What do you mean?" Ami was probably aware of Hinata's status as the heiress to her clan, so she was picking her words carefully.

Hinata twiddled her fingers nervously. "A-A-Akimichi-san is part of the F-Four Noble Clans of K-Konoha. G-Getting in trouble w-with the Akimichi clan would be b-bad, wouldn't it?"

It seems upon realizing that messing with an Akimichi would get them in trouble, Ami and her friends decided I wasn't worth it and immediately left. Kasumi had dropped my glasses onto the ground, which I was about to pick up, but Hinata beat me to it.

"H-Here you go, A-Akimichi-san," she said softly.

I blinked a few times and nodded as I accepted my glasses from her. "Th-Thank you…"

"I-It's n-nothing…" Hinata blushed. "I j-just…couldn't stand them p-picking on you…"

"Still, thank you…" Hinata, you have earned my respect and I am forever in your debt. "Ahh…do you know how to arrange flowers?"

Hinata blushed harder. "Y-Yes…?"

"Can you help me?" The desperation in my voice was evident. I wasn't even trying to hide it.

Hinata nodded her head. "O-Okay…"

"I'm Akimichi Chōko!" I suddenly blurted out. "Just call me Chōko!"

Hinata was a little stunned from my sudden outburst, but she somehow managed to keep calm. It took her a moment before she finally introduced herself to me, "I-I'm Hyuuga Hinata…"

Somehow, I don't know _how_, I managed to make yet another friend…or rather, Hinata did. Frankly, I don't care because I like making friends, but I'm still shocked over the fact that it was because _Hinata_, of _all_ people, defended me from my would-be-bullies. The Yamato Nadeshiko is strong within this girl…

…

"I-I think this flower r-represents us w-well," Hinata said as she held up an amaryllis flower she had just finished picking.

"Shy…" That was what I recall the meaning the amaryllis flower had. "Yeah, you're right about that…but I also think this iris fits you best."

Hinata's face heated up. "A-Ah, do you m-mean it?"

I smiled at Hinata. "Yes!"

I went home that day, feeling like the happiest girl in the world because I made friends with Hinata. I honestly felt proud over what she had done, but I couldn't help but feel something was off… I mean, what Hinata had done was something that can definitely be considered a deviation, but I wasn't worried about that.

What I _was_ worried about was something else, but I couldn't put my finger on it… It was only the very next day, in which I introduced Hinata to Naruto, that I suddenly noticed that the classroom was missing a certain pink-haired girl. At first, I put it down as Sakura being absent from class…then during lunchtime, I found her and Ino eating lunch together and it took me a few moments to put two and two together.

Sakura wasn't in the same class as me.

Sakura was in a different class.

Why could that be?

…

I had nearly thrown up my lunch when I realized that I had replaced Sakura.

It was because of me that Sakura was in a different class.

Just what have I done?

…

…

…

* * *

><p>AN So one thing I've been wanting to know is what exactly would happen if the SI OC accidentally took Sakura's spot in class. It's something I'll honestly be delving into, because I'm honestly intrigued with the scenario. So yeah, it's all thanks to Chōko that Sakura is in a different class. The thing about Chōko is this: she is _literally_ the butterfly in the butterfly effect. My friend, **ChibiFoxAI**, likes to call her a symbol and Chōko might as well be one for the Butterfly Effect.

This is where I finally explain the title of this story. Chōko's name literally means, "Butterfly child," and if you put it in perspective to what her existence has already done, it has already done more than Chōko would have done on her own, directly. She is indirectly changing the events of the story just by existing. For the most part, I'll be focusing on the indirect changes Chōko causes to the storyline. Not to say she won't directly change it, but more often than not, it's going to be an indirect cause.

Aside from replacing Sakura's spot in class, Chōko has also befriended Hinata…or rather, it was the other way around. In the same way Chōko saw a bit of herself in Naruto, Hinata saw a bit of herself in Chōko. That's why Hinata did what she did.

Also, hyperopia is commonly known as being farsighted. Chōko is farsighted. She can't see things at a close distance…well, she can, but not to the extent that would allow her to read well, as shown by how she is a shitty reader. Anything involving the fine details of things is blurred out to her at a close distance. Anyways, the type of glasses she wears are the same Jade Harley from _Homestuck_ and Touko Fukawa from _Danganronpa _wear. If you're wondering, those are the reasons she specifically chose that design for her glasses…yes.

Yeah, thing about me is that I'm the only one in my family who doesn't need glasses…yet (everyone in my family likes to add). So I was originally gonna keep Chōko without glasses, but then I decided to implement another element of irony for Chōko. And, to be honest, I have yet to see an SI OC who wears glasses (unless my memory is crap, which is likely) and I'd just like the chance to work with a character who wears glasses.

So basically, Chōko is now a glasses-wearing girl and if you're wondering how she managed to go through a week without noticing that Sakura wasn't in her class…when you have a one-tracked mind like her, you tend to miss things out until it literally slaps you in the face.

Also, in the Japanese language of flowers, an iris can mean noble heart, which is what Chōko was saying that Hinata has. And ikebana is the Japanese art of flower arrangement, in case any of you guys are wondering. By the by, while Chōko is pretty strong, what's keeping her from fighting back, for the most part, is the chance that she could seriously hurt someone. Be it, she's gonna eventually need to learn to get past that hesitance, but for now, Chōko's conscience is getting the better of her. That's how she ended up befriending Naruto.

And that's about it for now, I don't have much more to say except I'll keep trying to make longer chapters. I think from this point on, you can expect longer chapters…I think. It's not a for sure thing, but hopefully, it happens because I seriously want to start working on longer chapters. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, so until next time, everyone! KD out! XD


	6. Zinnias and Roses

I honestly should be afraid over the fact that I have effectively replaced Sakura in this class, but I'm not and— "Naruto, give me back my glasses."

"Ah, sorry Chōko-chan!" Naruto was quick to return my glasses.

I huffed as I put my glasses back on. "You gotta stop doing that…"

"A-Ah, Iruka-sensei is l-looking at us!" Hinata stuttered.

Crap! "We're paying attention!"

And that's how I made an idiot out of myself during gym class (as I'd like to call it). I haven't done that in a while…it's not a feeling I'd like to ever experience, nope. On the bright side, at least Hinata and Naruto are getting along as friends. And let me just say how _awesome_ it is to be friends with the Hyuuga clan heiress! No one fucking _dares_ to mess with Naruto now! Be it, ever since I made friends with Naruto, everyone else has been keeping their distance from Naruto, but now it was completely _guaranteed_ that Naruto was safe. Oh man, does it feel good to be part of the Four Noble Clans of Konohagakure!

But you wanna know what doesn't feel good? Running…running is a horrible thing that just tires you out and makes you sweaty. The sad thing about it is that it's going to be the main form of transportation for shinobi, so I need to learn how to suck it up. Curse you, shinobi life!

And thanks to Hinata, I am no longer afraid of kunoichi classes, which take place after regular classes every other day. That means that today, Hinata, Naruto, and I can spend more time together after classes! Oh man, what are we gonna do?

…

…

I should've realized that, by the fact that I've made friends with Naruto, this day would eventually come. What day am I talking about exactly? The day Naruto would introduce me to Ichiraku Ramen. The small restaurant looked exactly as it appeared in both the anime and manga. And Teuchi and Ayame are lovely people. They honestly seem happy to see Naruto isn't alone this time around, since he brought both Hinata and me along.

"You must be the girl he keeps talking about!" Ayame looked at me with a wide smile.

I blinked and looked at Naruto. "Talking about?"

"I guess I might have mentioned your name a few times…" Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "I was just happy someone wasn't mean to me-ttebayo!"

Oh god dammit, I am _not_ having feels right now! Go away, tears! I do not need you right now!

"Why are you crying?" Dammit, Naruto!

"I just got something in my eye!" I exclaimed as I took off my glasses to rub my eyes.

"I-It's okay to cry…" Hinata said softly.

"Hinata~!" I whined. "Now they won't stop!"

It's nice to see that the emotional aspect of myself still exists in this life…god dammit.

"Hey, Teuchi-san!" Naruto exclaimed. "Can I get an extra-large serving of ramen?"

"Sure!" Teuchi was quick to respond. "What type?"

"It's not for me!" Naruto gestured at me. "It's for Chōko-chan. I'm thinking that maybe some ramen can make her stop crying. Whaddaya want, Chōko-chan?"

I am _not_ crying…okay, maybe I am…but I wouldn't mind having some ramen. "Shōyu…I want shōyu."

"One extra-large shōyu ramen coming right up!" Teuchi grinned at me. "What would you like, Naruto?"

"I want miso ramen with roasted pork fillet!" Naruto was quick to respond. "Also extra-large!"

"I-I also want that…" Hinata said quietly.

…

Naruto and I found out that day that Hinata was a big eater. I may have suspected it, based on a Shippuden omake (or whatever that ramen-eating contest can be considered) I have seen, but I didn't think it was actually canon until now. I said nothing about it, but Naruto isn't exactly the most tactful person alive.

"You sure eat a lot, Hinata-chan!" Naruto grinned widely at Hinata.

Hinata was almost done with her ramen when she heard Naruto say that. Her face turned red as she began to stutter, "A-Aah…"

I decided to put all attention away from Hinata. "So do you, Naruto!"

"And you!" Naruto turned his attention to me.

"That's because I have a fast metabolism!" That is part of the reason. The other reason is that I _really_ do love to eat…and Akimichi clan food is extremely delicious, if also nutritious! Yeah, thing about the Akimichi clan is we're big on nutrition. We've managed ways to make nutrition delicious and not complete torture on the taste buds. So when an Akimichi tells you a food is nutritious, you better believe it _is_ nutritious! Of course, we still do have a non-nutritious food, but I digress…

"Well, I'm hungry!" Naruto replied. "Aren't you supposed to eat when you're hungry?"

"Yeah, I guess I _do_ eat when I'm hungry…" I admitted, as obvious of a remark as it was. "I guess you got me there."

"That's right-ttebayo!" Naruto grinned widely.

I was about to say something, but then Hinata's quiet laughter caught my attention. Hinata certainly seemed to be doing better than she was when Naruto told her she ate a lot… "Nice to see you're smiling, Hinata."

"Eep!" Hinata immediately stopped laughing as her face turned red. "I-I'm s-sorry—"

"Don't apologize!" I will have none of that, dear friend! "It's okay to laugh…just like it's okay to cry, huh?"

"Y-You're right…" Hinata seemed to have calmed down. "Ahh…c-can you n-not tell anyone…"

"About what?" I asked without waiting for Hinata to finish. "Oops…sorry for interrupting you…"

Hinata shook her head. "It's fine…j-just don't tell a-anyone that I…I…e-eat a lot."

I blinked a few times. "Why?"

"I don't kn-know how my f-father would r-react…" Hinata replied. "H-He would pr-probably say it's unbecoming…"

"I think it's cute," Naruto suddenly blurted out.

Hinata's blush returned with a vengeance. "H-Huh?!"

"I mean, you seem really happy when you eat," Naruto said as he rubbed the back of his head. "So I don't see what's unbecoming about it…"

"…" Hinata averted her gaze.

…

…

Am I really witnessing what I think I'm witnessing? Because if it is, then holy hell! That was freaking adorable! I'm a sucker for cute scenes like this…I'm amazed I haven't squealed.

"Anyways, we got ya covered, Hinata!" Still, I'm a little surprised that Hinata has her own secrets…that don't involve her future crush on Naruto. Of course, I could probably say the same thing to just about everyone. "Just to let you know, when you're around me and Naruto, you can eat as much as you want…got it?"

Hinata looked at me and smiled. "Thank you…"

"I really need to take you guys out to one of the Akimichi clan restaurants!" I totally need to do that! Since Hinata and Naruto are my friends, they'll probably get the Akimichi discount, which is a _very_ nice thing to have. Naruto would definitely benefit from this…I should probably talk it over with Chōza. He could probably put in a good word for Naruto…god knows Naruto _needs_ that discount. "How about it?"

Naruto was completely ecstatic, as was Hinata, in her own, quiet way. I could feel myself smiling widely. I just felt so giddy! I know what I was doing when I got home!

"Hinata-sama!" a curt voice managed to snap me out of my good mood.

Hinata nearly squeaked upon hearing her name called out in such a tone. "Ah!"

When Naruto, Hinata, and I turned, I saw a slightly older boy with long, black hair and eyes similar to Hinata's eyes. It took until I noticed that his forehead was covered to realize that this boy was Neji. Fuuuck, I had forgotten about this guy! Shit…okay, Hinata should be four-years-old, that'd make Neji…almost six, meaning…shit, the incident has already happened, hasn't it? Dammit.

Great, that means that Neji has that stick up his ass…Not gonna lie, it's nice to see that he's alive (I hope he _stays_ alive), but I'm not gonna appreciate his currently arrogant and cold personality. This is going to be a fun seven to eight years, isn't it?

"Who's he?" Naruto asked Hinata.

Hinata looked down. "Neji-nii-sama…I-I have to go."

"See ya tomorrow, Hinata-chan!" Naruto said as Hinata scurried over to Neji's side.

"It was nice talking to you!" Let's be positive for now, Chōko! God knows we're definitely going to need to stay positive… "Bye~!"

…

…

The next day started out well, but around lunchtime, I noticed something was off with Hinata. She seemed happy enough to eat some of the food I was offering her from my bento box, but there was this look on her face that appeared every other moment or so. It was as if she wanted to tell me something, but couldn't find the courage to say it. There was a wistful look in her eyes as she looked at Naruto, who was currently having his daily reading lesson with Shikamaru, with a little help from Chōji.

It was only today's kunoichi class that Hinata finally managed to tell me of her concerns. Her father had found out about her association with Naruto and wanted her to cease being friends with the boy. I should have seen this coming…and I might have, but that still didn't stop me from looking surprised.

"Wh-Why?!" I suddenly blurted out.

Hinata turned her attention to the flower she had finished picking: a zinnia. "I-I don't know…b-but I have to listen to my f-father."

I frowned. "D-Do you really want to stop being friends with Naruto?"

"N-No!" Hinata shook her head firmly. "I don't…"

"Then what are you going to do?" I could tell Hinata wanted to keep being friends with Naruto, but her father was really making that difficult for her. Still, how the hell did Hiashi know about Naruto so fast?

…

…

Oh, right…Neji…God dammit, Neji! Do you really feel the need to ruin Hinata's happiness? She was _so_ happy yesterday! New goal: Make him pay…somehow.

"Hinata…?" I looked at Hinata, who had yet to give me an answer.

"I…I don't know…" Hinata bit her lip.

…

"Maybe you should talk it over with your father," I suggested. "I mean, if you don't want to stop being friends with Naruto, why don't you tell him that?"

"I—how?!" That seemed to be the question Hinata wanted to know. "I don't th-think I c-can…"

"No…you can." Even though Hinata still lacked confidence and had issues with her self-esteem, I know that even she could find the courage to stand up for herself. She just had to push herself. "Remember what you did for me when Ami and her friends were picking on me."

"I s-still can't b-believe I did that…" Hinata admitted. "I was r-really scared, b-but…I c-couldn't stand seeing them d-do that to you…"

"Just because you're scared doesn't mean you can't do what you feel is right." Look at me, sounding all mature and crap. Ahaha, where was this maturity when I needed it in college? "Fear is normal…isn't it? It's whether or not you let it prevent you from doing anything that should matter…right?"

Hinata nodded her head. "I-I guess…"

"Eventually, everyone needs to learn how to stand up for themselves." That's how I felt, especially with the shinobi life being a thing. "If you can stand up for a stranger, then you should be able to stand up for yourself…right?"

Hinata thought for a moment. "R-Right…"

"Look…wait here a moment." I got an idea.

Hinata blinked. "Huh?"

"I'll be right back!" I exclaimed as I ran off in a certain direction.

…

About five minutes later, I came back running to Hinata, with a flower in my hand. In today's kunoichi class, we were supposed to find a flower that would express something to one of our classmates. It took me a while and I was almost afraid I wouldn't find it, but I found the flower I wanted to give to Hinata.

Smiling, I held out a pink rose to Hinata. "For you, Hinata!"

Hinata had nearly dropped the zinnia in her hand when she got a good look at the rose and its coloration. "A-Ah!"

"Whatever happens, just do it for yourself…okay?" I'm trusting Hinata to do what she felt was right.

Hinata bit her lip as she hesitantly accepted the pink rose from me. She stared at the rose for a moment before holding out the zinnia in her other hand to me. "F-For y-you…"

"Thank you!" I said as I accepted the zinnia from Hinata. I feel…very happy.

Hinata just nodded her head as she focused her attention on the pink rose in her hands. "…I…haven't kn-known you f-for long…"

"Yeah…" Technically, we've only known each other for like three days, counting today…but to me, it feels longer. That's how I feel…

"B-But…I'm r-really glad…" Hinata continued. "I-I met you, Chōko-chan…y-you…and N-Naruto-kun…"

I felt my face heating up upon hearing this. I rubbed the back of my head awkwardly as I looked at Hinata, whose face was just as red as mine was. The two of us…we're alike, in certain ways. I think that's why we get along so well. One of the things I like about my life, as Akimichi Chōko…is that I hear things like this. It really means a lot, to someone like me…

…

…

The next day, when Hinata told me what went on the other night, I felt something swell inside me. It was a feeling that I could only identify as pride. Hinata had managed to stand up for herself when she had spoken to her father last night. Because of what she had done, her father had allowed her to stay friends with Naruto.

Of course, there was the chance that Hiashi believed the friendship wouldn't last, as Hinata had only known Naruto for about two days at the time…even so, Hiashi was allowing Hinata to stay with Naruto. That alone was milestone within itself. Hinata had every reason to smile today…and I couldn't be any happier.

We didn't tell Naruto about it… Hinata didn't want Naruto knowing that her father didn't approve of their friendship. One day, though, Hinata would tell him…at least, that's what she told me.

Speaking of Naruto, I found yet another problem with him: He can't write. I nearly slammed my head on my desk when I found out about that…nearly. I didn't exactly want to break my glasses. Naruto was learning how to read at a moderately fast pace. He still had a long ways to go, but he was showing a lot of progress within the entire week he had started learning how to read. I have no idea how any of us were going to show him how to write. Even Shikamaru was still working out the kinks in his writing skills, while I'm still in the midst of learning.

So that left me with only one option… When the entire class was let out for lunch, I gave my bento box to Naruto and told him and Hinata to find a spot. I had to talk to someone…

…

"Iruka-sensei?" I'm honestly surprised I'm not that awkward around Iruka-sensei, but I guess it's because he has this vibe about himself. Still, I am slightly intimidated about this guy.

"Ah, what is it, Chōko?" Iruka-sensei eyed me questioningly.

"Well, it's about Naruto…" I said as I rubbed the back of my head.

Iruka-sensei seemed to stiffen upon hearing Naruto's name. "What about him? Has he been bothering you or anything?"

"What—no!" Dammit, Iruka-sensei! You're better than the others to not act like this! "That's not it! He can't write!"

"O-Oh…" Iruka-sensei seemed a bit embarrassed. "Naruto can't write, huh…?"

"Uh-huh…" I nodded my head. "Shikamaru and I have been teaching Naruto how to read, and he's improving…but I have no idea how we're gonna teach him how to write since both of us are still learning…"

"So you want me to teach him how to write, huh?" Iruka-sensei, I love how you catch on quickly.

"Can you?" Please, for the love of god, make it easier on Shikamaru and me! I'm barely getting the hang of katakana! "Please? I don't want Naruto to fail because he doesn't know how to write…"

That is like my biggest concern with Naruto. I know canon already had him as dead last, but I don't want him to be dead last like _this_. At least this way, Naruto has a better chance! I know that may or may not have an effect later on in life, but god dammit, I _hate_ seeing my friends fall back like this!

"Don't worry about it, Chōko! I'll teach him!" Iruka-sensei smiled widely at me. "I'll make sure by the end of this week that he'll be able to write his name!"

"Really?!" Oh my god, I am _not_ the unluckiest person in the world! At least, today I'm not! "Thank you!"

…

A few minutes later, I walked outside of the Academy building and found Naruto, Hinata, Shikamaru, and Chōji sitting under a big, shady tree. Shikamaru was still teaching Naruto how to read and Hinata and Chōji seemed to be having a nice conversation about something. Whatever it was they were talking about, I had no clue, but both Hinata and Chōji were both smiling, so it _had_ to be something good.

Midway through lunchtime, I had a small scuffle with Naruto over who got the last salmon-filled onigiri. Hinata ended surprising all of us when she ate the last salmon-filled onigiri while Naruto and I were arguing. While I was initially annoyed, I couldn't help but laugh at what Hinata had done. We all did…even Hinata, herself. She was having the time of her life, from the look of the smile on her face.

At the end of the day, when everyone was dismissed from classes, Naruto was told to stay behind by Iruka-sensei. While Naruto seemed disappointed, I was actually pleased because Iruka-sensei was going to talk to Naruto about teaching him how to write. About ten minutes later, in which Hinata and I were waiting for Naruto outside of the Academy, Naruto ran over to us with a huge grin on his face.

"Iruka-sensei's gonna teach me how to write-ttebayo!" Naruto exclaimed.

"That's good to hear!" I smiled at Naruto. "Say, Naruto, Hinata…do you wanna visit my place?"

"You mean I can come over-ttebayo?!" The fact that Naruto seemed so shock just _hurt_.

"Yeah…I'm pretty sure Chōji's already bringing over Shikamaru." Shikamaru has already been over to the Akimichi clan compound a number of times since Chōji and I first befriended him. Our parents are quite lenient about bring our friends over—hell! They encourage us to bring our friends over as much as we want! "So what do you say?"

"I-I'll come," Hinata replied.

"Hell yeah, dattebayo!" Naruto was _really_ excited.

"Well then, follow me!" This was the best day ever!

In a similar vein as Hinata, I didn't tell Naruto that it was because of me that Iruka-sensei was going to teach him how to read. I had a feeling Iruka-sensei was going to eventually tell him, but I rather that happen than me telling Naruto myself. If only for a bit, I wanted Naruto to feel that someone else was doing something for him on their own accord.

It took me an entire month to realize that, by telling Iruka-sensei about Naruto's lacking writing skills, I only created an opportunity for the both of them to bond.

…

…

* * *

><p><em>Zinnia: Loyalty<em>

…

…

_Pink Rose: Trust/Happiness/Confidence_

* * *

><p>…<p>

…

…

A/N So, as you can see from this chapter, I'm going through with Naruto's "dattebayo/ttebayo" verbal tic. This was a challenge I put upon myself, whether or not I can manage this verbal tic. And god dammit, I will TRY my hardest to work with it.

On a side note, the sad thing about Shippuden and me is that I've watched a lot of the omake and little specials, like that one ramen-eating contest where Hinata won the contest. I dunno about you, but ever since then, I had it in my head that Hinata can and does eat a lot…but she keeps it to herself because it would be "unbecoming of a lady of such noble status" and all that jazz.

So if you're wondering why Hinata is the way she is here, it's because of that. I honestly find it interesting because with that, that makes Hinata yet another person in Chōko's circle of friends that eats a lot, the only current exception being Shikamaru.

And I honestly never noticed until now that Chōko's status as an Akimichi would actually have an effect, in regards to her friendship with Naruto. It only became apparent when Hinata joined in the mix, as the Hyuuga are also part of the Four Noble Clans of Konoha. As Naruto is friends with two (three, if you count Chōji) children who are part of two out of the Four Noble Clans…I realized that connections are a thing and so you get Naruto being left alone, for fear of people ruining their reputation. Be it, it won't stop _all_ the mistreatment and harassment Naruto gets, but it does decrease enough for Naruto to have a better childhood.

By the way, when Chōko asked Iruka if he could teach Naruto how to write, she did it because she was out of ideas and Iruka seemed to be the best person to ask for such a favor. She didn't do it because it would be a good chance for him and Naruto to bond until literally a month after she had asked Iruka to teach Naruto. Chōko lives in the moment, as you have noticed. Sometimes, she doesn't think of the affects her actions might have until later on.

So, in a way, Chōko's actions this time around were a mixture of indirect and direct. And in regards to her friendship with Hinata, Chōko knows for a fact that Hinata can in fact stand up for herself…Hinata just needs a little push. The pink rose Chōko gave Hinata was that push.

There are also reasons why Hinata tries harder than she usually does, but I won't go into that just yet. Just know that Hanabi hasn't been born yet…

For the most part, a lot of good things have been happening and there's been a mostly positive outlook. That is because Chōko wants to be as optimistic as ever. It lets her enjoy the moment, which fits in with her, "we'll cross that bridge when we get there" mindset. Not exactly the best mindset, but in an emotional sense, it eases any concerns Chōko has about the future, which is how she was able to get past the fact that she knows Neji had died because she was appreciating the fact that he was _alive_ when she saw him.

So this A/N has been getting a little too long for my tastes, so I'll stop right here. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I certainly did! That's why there have been more updates than usual! When I'm happy and enjoying myself, then I have an easier time writing chapters! So I hope it stays that way for a while, since this story really gets my mind off the stress of exams and college. So until next time, everyone! KD out! XD


	7. First Impressions

The next day, Aburame Shino joined our circle of friends. How this ended up happening is something that can be summarized as Chōko (me) finding praying mantises cute and Shino taking it as an opportunity to socialize. Where did the praying mantis even come into the picture?

Well, it all happened during lunchtime. We were all just minding our business, eating lunch…and then Hinata started freaking out about something moving in her hair. I, being the daring and possibly overprotective friend, was quick to do something about it…and what I found in Hinata's hair was a praying mantis. Now I'm quite neutral to most types of bugs (unless they are wasps, hornets, and ants…those can go fall in a pit and roaches can just _die_), but I do have my favorites and a praying mantis just so happens to be one.

So when I gently removed the praying mantis from Hinata's hair, I was immediately _all_ over that bug, earning a number of strange looks from my friends as a result. Upon noticing said looks, I felt rather embarrassed, if only because it felt as if I was making an idiot out of myself, even though I wasn't.

Then freaking Shino caught us all off-guard by joining in on the conversation—how long has he been there? He probably came over as soon as he heard about the praying mantis I found. I know, praying mantises _are_ pretty cool—wait, I'm getting off topic. Anyways, moments after Shino joined the conversation, I quickly realized how awkward this boy could come off as, due to his manner of speaking.

Now Shino isn't exactly that expressive of a person, but even _I_ could tell that he was embarrassed to a certain extent after giving a couple of rather detailed facts on mantises. He just stared at us and we stared back. We said nothing, and I was starting to feel restless with the awkward silence, so I said the first thing that popped into my mind.

"E-Eat?" Way to know how to word, Chōko.

Shino just looked at me for a moment before faintly nodding his head. And that's how Shino became part of our circle of friends. Circle of friends, circle of friends…god, I miss my tenth grade English teacher…

…

…

Kunoichi classes went by as usual, except Hinata decided to tell me something she had kept from me during lunchtime as I was reading about flowers…

"What do you mean your father wants me over for dinner?" Where the hell did _that_ come from? "Did you mention my name when you talked to your father the other day?"

Hinata shook her head. "N-No…but Neji-nii-sama t-told him about you…"

Dammit, Neji, why must you make everything difficult for me?! First Naruto, now me…I should've expected this, to be honest.

"Am I going to have to dress up?" Because I honestly don't feel like wearing my yukata or kimono…I _like_ being able to walk as freely as I can!

"N-No, you're fine," Hinata replied. "Wh-When do you th-think you can come?"

"Any time, I guess." To be honest, I don't really have anything better to do, so I usually have a lot of free time. "Just give me the day."

Hinata nodded. "I n-need to talk to my f-father, then…"

"Well, we'll figure it out tomorrow," I said as I rubbed the back of my head. "So do you know exactly how we're going to memorize the toxicity and non-toxicity of all these plants and flowers? Because I sure don't…"

You would think we would have already moved on from plants and flowers in class, but _no_. You'd be surprise how much _more_ we had left to learn in kunoichi classes about them. In fact, the entirety of this month's kunoichi classes is dedicated to plants and flowers. By the end of this month, we're going to get quizzed on this shit and I know I'm gonna fail…unless Hinata knows the secret to success!

"Please tell me you have a faint idea of this?" Please, Hinata, you're my only hope!

Hinata looked at me for a moment and smiled. "L-Let's start by s-seeing how much you kn-know…"

…

…

When I had become friends with Hinata, I had a very faint feeling that I was going to eventually visit the Hyuuga compound because of our friendship. I just wasn't expecting it to be so soon. Let me tell you about the Hyuuga compound—it's _huge_. Like, holy crap! My body is not ready…I'm already having regrets and—oh shit, is that Hiashi?!

"Welcome to our home," Hiashi said formally as I walked through the door.

Almost immediately, I felt like a plebeian, far below Hiashi's status. I honestly never thought I would ever feel like this, but I dunno, a lot of things have happened since I was reborn into this world…am I staring? Oh crap, I think I am!

"Thank you for having me over!" I suddenly blurted out.

…

Smooth, Chōko, smooth. First impressions are important and look what you just did. God dammit, I hope I didn't embarrass Hinata.

"I am so sorry…" My face heated up as I bowed apologetically at Hiashi.

Hiashi just looked at me for a moment before turning to Hinata. "This is your friend?"

"Y-Yes," Hinata replied. "Th-This is Akimichi Ch-Chōko."

"Akimichi Chōko…" Hiashi repeated, as he looked me over. I felt completely exposed under his gaze…those eyes—they _stare_ into my soul. They're nothing like Hinata's gentle eyes! "You must be the Akimichi with the fast-metabolism."

"I-I am…" Oh god, he's heard of me…

"I see…" Hiashi turned his attention to Hinata. "Dinner will be ready in half an hour. You are free to do as you wish until then."

Hiashi left us right after saying that. Hinata and I waited until he was out of earshot before we both sighed in relief.

"Oh my god, I can't believe I did that…" My heart is pounding…and I feel like crying…am I crying—am I? "Hinata, am I crying?"

"N-No, you're not…" Hinata frowned. "D-Do you feel l-like crying?"

"No…?" Emotions, stop, I do _not_ need tears now!

"Do y-you want to g-go to my room?"

"Yes…"

…

…

Surprisingly enough, I did not cry. It probably helped that Hinata was brushing my hair. Getting my hair brushed always seems to calm me… Well, technically, the term would be combing, because Hinata is using a comb and the same term could be applied to Mama, but whatever.

"D-Do you want m-me to do anything?" Hinata asked me.

I thought for a moment before replying, "Can you braid my hair? I-I mean…if you can, that is…"

"I-I'll try…" Hinata said softly.

Within the next eight minutes, Hinata managed to plait my mid-back length hair into a neat braid. I was quite happy with the braid…I think I'll keep it—no… I'm _definitely_ keeping it. "Thank you, Hinata!"

"Y-You're welcome…" Hinata blushed.

"H-Hey…can I c-comb your hair?" I have been eyeing your hair since like forever and I want so badly to touch it and comb it and…please don't think I'm weird, please don't think I'm weird—

"You can." Hinata smiled at me as she handed me the comb.

I resisted the urge to squeal as I took the comb from Hinata. Whenever I see pretty hair, I just have this urge to touch it…I'm not a creeper, I promise!

…

Oh.

My.

God.

Hinata, I am extremely jealous of your hair. It's so soft and silky and a pretty color and— "Can I have your hair?"

"N-No?" Hinata was probably caught off guard by my question. I wouldn't blame her.

"Sorry…I just _really_ like your hair…" Not saying my hair is bad or anything, it's just…Hinata has dark blue hair and I think that is awesome. Meanwhile with me, I'm stuck with plain, brown hair that's the same color as Chōji's hair. I'm not saying having brown hair is bad, but I had dark brown hair in the past and being reborn in the Naruto world means you can have just about any color on the entire color spectrum as a hair color, so excuse me for hoping I had been born with Chōza's red hair… Why does he have red hair, anyway? Isn't that trait exclusive to the Uzumaki clan? Or are there genetic exceptions?

…

I have no idea. I'm not a fucking geneticist…though I _could_ have been in my past life. I was always good at the genetics portion of biology, but I was _also_ a gamer girl and my love for video games overturns SCIENCE. Still, I _am_ kinda curious of how genetics work here…no, Chōko! Bad…you're setting yourself up for a major headache.

"Hello, what have we have here?" A soft, gentle voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

"Okaa-sama!" Hinata exclaimed, sounding both a little surprised and happy.

Upon hearing Hinata's exclamation, my attention quickly shifted to the person who I just recently noticed was in the room and—HOLY HELL! HINATA'S MOTHER IS GORGEOUS.

"Ahh…" I could feel my face heat up as I stared at Hinata's mother, who just smiled gently at us. While I didn't see much of a resemblance between Hinata and Hiashi, with this _lovely_ lady…I can see whom Hinata took after… Please tell me I'm not staring…

"Chōko-chan, a-are you okay?" Hinata asked me.

Dammit, I _am_ staring! Quick, say something that won't embarrass yourself, Chōko! "You're gorgeous!"

That is _not_ what I wanted to say!

"O-Oh, my!" Hinata's mother blushed in response to my outburst.

I covered my mouth to avoid saying anything else that could embarrass me, but I can tell that it's too late for that. My face was redder than a tomato by this point. My eyes were starting to feel a little misty and I could practically hear my heart pounding within my chest. Embarrassment hit me _hard_.

Thankfully, Hinata's mother was an absolute sweetheart and took my outburst as a compliment. "You have such a nice friend, Hinata-chan…did you braid her hair?"

"Y-Yes," Hinata replied.

"It looks nice on her," her mother remarked. "It definitely suits her…"

I don't know why, but to hear that from Hinata's mother…it made me feel happy. I haven't had my hair braided since I was like…twelve-years-old in my past life. Then I got my first haircut and any chances of me being able to braid my hair went out the window. So having my hair in a braid again after so long…even if it is as Chōko, just…it just feels nice…especially since Hinata was the one to braid it.

"Oh, I almost forgot…I'm Hyuuga Himawari," Hinata's mother introduced herself. "It's nice to meet you…"

"Ch-Chōko!" I quickly responded. "Akimichi Chōko…"

I'm also known as the Akimichi with a fast-metabolism who breaks the occasional sliding door. You might want to keep your sliding doors away from me…

"Akimichi Chōko…I see, I see…" Himawari certainly found me interesting. "Well, I'll be on my way. I just wanted to see my daughter's cute little friend, so excuse me if I interrupted anything."

Himawari left the room after that. It took me a minute to find my voice and tell Hinata, or rather, ask her, "Did your mother just call me cute?"

I can hear just fine and I know what Himawari just said…but for an attractive person to call me "cute"…I need a moment.

…

…

Dinner with the Hyuuga clan was going on exactly as how I had expected it to be: quiet, awkward, and tense—dammit, Neji! Stop staring at Hinata like that! I would say something, but considering my current position and the fact that I had already embarrassed myself enough as is, I stayed quiet. The last thing I need was Hiashi's stare on me again…those eyes.

Then Himawari smiled at me and I didn't feel as tense anymore. Seriously, Hinata's mother is a gem…

"How exactly did you and Hinata befriend each other, Akimichi-san?" Hiashi suddenly asked me.

I nearly choked on a mouthful of rice when Hiashi had asked me that. I swallowed hard and tried ignore the stares that were now on me. "Ah…Hinata was actually the one to befriend me…She defended me when these girls started picking on me during the first day of kunoichi classes…"

Breathe, Chōko, _breathe_…

"Did she…?" Hiashi's attention turned to Hinata, whose face was a brilliant shade of red. He seemed a bit surprised. Maybe it was the thought that his shy, little daughter had somehow managed to defend someone like me from bullies. That seems to be the case.

Even Neji couldn't believe it—yeah, I saw that look! Don't think no one has noticed…I'm watching you…

Himawari seemed rather pleased with what she heard. "I see, I see…is there anything else you haven't told us yet, Hinata-chan?"

"Y-Yesterday, we made f-friends with Aburame Sh-Shino…" Hinata replied.

Hiashi took an interest with what he heard. "An Aburame…"

"First, an Akimichi, then an Aburame?" Himawari smiled. "All that is left is an Uchiha…I hear the Uchiha clan head's youngest child is attending the Academy…Sasuke-kun, was it?"

Ahh, Sasuke…yeah, to be honest, I haven't been paying much attention to him…like, at all. He's still in the same class as me, so I'm not too worried. His clan is still alive, so there's another thing… Really, I'm not all too concerned about Sasuke just yet.

Hinata nodded her head. "H-He's in our class, b-but we haven't r-really talked to him…"

"Maybe you should try," Himawari suggested. "Wouldn't it be nice for the Four Noble Clans to form a close bond this way?"

"It would be beneficial in creating strong alliances." Hiashi seemed to agree with his wife.

…Huh, it actually would. How the hell did I not notice this until now? Well, Hinata's definitely proving to be a promising heiress in the eyes of Hiashi—Neji, stop looking so annoyed. Can you like, for one second, put aside your disdain for your cousin and anyone within the Main House in general? Seriously, this is gonna be a fun seven to eight years…

At least dinner was less tense and nerve-wracking after that. Of course, Neji was still being a stick in the mud and…he has really nice hair.

…

Dammit, I'm doing it again. I need to stop staring at people—

"Do you need something?" Neji abruptly asked me.

I blinked. "Ah…"

"If you do not, then can you please stop staring at me?" Neji was annoyed. "Well?"

"I think you have pretty hair." Well, I just dug my own grave. On the bright side, at least I didn't blurt it out or anything, so I consider that progress and is Neji _blushing_?!

"N-Neji-nii-sama, are you o-okay?" Hinata's question had all attention focused on Neji, whose face was a lovely shade of crimson.

Neji was too flustered to even answer Hinata. Apparently, my comment had caught him completely by surprise.

…

I'm gonna die young, aren't I?

…

…

It was safe to say that, by the end of the day, Neji had become completely wary of me. Himawari seems to like me and I have no idea what Hiashi even thinks of me. Hinata had a good time, at least…and I guess I did, as well. I mean, making Neji blush is quite the accomplishment…and I honestly wasn't even trying. I was being completely honest about what I had said. Still, I should work on avoiding outbursts like that in the future. Otherwise, my chance at the shinobi life will end before it can even begin.

Putting all that aside, life went on as usual. Hinata and I were still close, as was Naruto, Shino was slowly adjusting to our circle of friends, and Shikamaru and Chōji might as well be part of that circle of friends. Life was definitely good and I can appreciate that.

About a week before Chōji and I turned five, we were asked to invite our friends over to the Akimichi compound for our birthday. While Chōji was quick to invite Shikamaru, he left the rest of the invitations to me, so I was the one who personally invited Hinata, Shino, and Naruto. Now if there's one thing I should have expected from inviting Hinata and Shino, it was that word should have reached their parents.

And if word reached their parents, chances are, they were most likely going to contact my parents. And for that reason alone, what was supposed to be a simple birthday party of sorts, turned into a gathering for the Four Noble Clans. Because the fact that I had managed to befriend a Hyuuga and Aburame wasn't overlooked so easily, as I had initially…and when I say Four Noble Clans, I mean _exactly_ four.

Akimichi, Hyuuga, and Aburame…that's three, you're thinking. Well, even though I have _yet_ to associate with anyone within the clan, the Uchiha clan had been invited. So when I answered the door to greet our guests, I got one hell of a shock when I found myself staring into a pair of extremely distinct onyx-colored eyes belonging to none other than a four-year-old Uchiha Sasuke.

And holding onto Sasuke's hand, was Itachi. Huh, he does really look like a weasel…

"What?" Itachi suddenly said.

Oh fuck, did I say that out loud? _Shit_!

…

…

…

* * *

><p>AN If you honestly think about it, alliances can usually begin with friendships and if you take into consideration that three clans out of the four had their children befriend each other, then you will realize how much of an opportunity there is out of that. I only just realized that right after Shino entered the scene. Yes, I can be slow.

So I found out that Hinata's mother is a huge mystery. Like, is she alive or not? What is her name? For now, I can definitely say she is alive…and that her name is Himawari. Himawari, by the way, means sunflower, which has the meaning "love and respect" in the Japanese language of flowers. I dunno, I thought the name was fitting for someone who was Hinata's mother.

Moving on, in this chapter, you've noticed a quirk Chōko has, that quirk being how she says what is on her mind. It's not exactly how you'd imagine it to be, what with saying what's on her mind being things like, "you're gorgeous" and "you have pretty hair". More often than not, Chōko is going to end up embarrassing herself because of it. In hindsight, it makes her quite the unpredictable person, which can catch people, like Neji, by surprise. So there are pros and cons to it.

And if it weren't for the fact that I put priorities into video games, I'd probably be most likely invested in a field of science…genetics, based on how well I did on that portion in biology. It's either that or psychology…but I digress. Anyways, I do wonder how exactly genetics would work in the world of Naruto. I mean, when you got a wide array of hair types and colors, it just makes you wonder how likely the probability of traits like that being passed onto the offspring and I should stop talking science. But seriously, that would probably give a geneticist a headache.

Anyway, thanks to Hinata, Chōko now has her hair in a braid. It gives Chōko a sense of nostalgia and, in the long run, braids are the way to go if you have long hair and you're planning on fighting or running a lot. That's basically the shinobi life in a nutshell, so Chōko is prepared for that shit!

And if you're wondering about the comment involving that tenth grade English teacher…well, my tenth grade English teacher, as my Academic Decathlon coach in my senior year, would usually say, "Circle of friends, circle of friends" to refer to the entire class. It just caught on…

So there you have it. This chapter was basically learning more about Chōko as a person as she interacts with the world around her…and making friends with Shino. I am honestly a little disappointed with how little attention Shino got in this chapter, so I'm hoping to fix that soon because the poor guy gets ignored enough as is. Aside from that, I hope you enjoyed this chapter.

I should honestly be working on my ten to fifteen sentences in French, but naaah…you guys know me…well, most of you do. To those who don't, I tend to prioritize fanfiction over college homework and let's just say I've ended up doing work at the last minute _hours_ before it was due.

Until next time everyone! KD out! XD


	8. Gathering

I could already feel my face beginning to heat up as Itachi continued to stare at me. He probably wants to know what I had said, even though I was pretty _sure_ he heard me correctly…

"She says you look like a weasel, Nii-san." Sasuke…I hate you.

"Ah…" was all Itachi said, his stare never once leaving me.

Okay, I have my limits and I know it isn't exactly the best decision I have ever contemplated, but running away seemed like a highly appealing option…especially when you had two Uchiha staring you down with their pitch-black eyes…yeah, I'm gonna go before I embarrass myself.

"Kaa-chaaaan!" Welp, I'm definitely the champion of embarrassing myself. Running off, yelling for my mommy…doesn't get any better than that.

Now while I have effectively done a good job screwing up my chances at making a good impression on the Uchiha clan (as if I ever had a chance), or at least with Itachi and Sasuke, I managed to get some answers quite quickly through this method. Were there other methods that could have had the same outcome, minus the embarrassment? Possibly…but I'm still impulsive as ever.

I was at least aware of the gathering of the Four Noble Clans after that…by the way, the Uchiha clan likes to show up early and I hate them for that. The reason why is because, until my friends showed up, I was stuck with Itachi and Sasuke. And while I do appreciate that Chōji and Shikamaru are around, I really wish they weren't busy playing shōgi with each other.

So it was just the five of us, in a room, while the adults were in another room. I believe they're trying to get us to socialize… I did hear Mikoto say something to Sasuke about being nice to me…I wonder why.

By the way, Sasuke's mother is also a gem. I managed to keep myself from blurting anything, if only because Mikoto seemed to have taken _quite_ the interest in me. Apparently, Sasuke likes to talk about his classmates, and I happen to be the one he talks about the most. From my eating habits, to my glasses, to the fact that I have, within the span of a month, managed to break _five_ sliding doors at the Academy, Sasuke has found me quite interesting.

In fact, I believe Sasuke's first words to me, upon recognizing who I was, were, "Hey, you're that glasses girl who eats a lot and broke those doors!"

So while I don't know much about Sasuke, he, apparently, _does_ know about me…sort of.

…

Is that how other people see me? Because if it is, that's just sad…I'm more than that. I think I know how it feels to be Sasha, what with her "Potato Girl" status. Okay, new goal: Avoid becoming the next Potato Girl.

"How can you see with these things?" Sasuke asked, moments after taking my glasses and putting them on himself.

"H-Hey!" I need those things for reading and crap!

At that moment, Itachi poked Sasuke in the forehead and took my glasses from him, which he returned to me. "Be nice to girls, Sasuke."

"Nii-saaan!" Sasuke whined. "Did you really have to do that?"

It's weird seeing Sasuke act like a kid. At the same time, it's kinda annoying because Sasuke is acting like a _kid_…I don't know what he'll do next! I'm too used to the cold, cynical and arrogant person he grew up to be because of the Uchiha Clan Massacre. I did not sign up for this!

Thankfully, Itachi knows how to keep his little brother on a leash (figuratively), so I didn't have to put up with Sasuke trying to steal my glasses again. What I _did_ have to put up was this:

"Why aren't you fat?" Sasuke asked quite bluntly.

What is my life? To have to put up with the curiosity of a four-year-old Uchiha…what did I do to deserve this? Is this why Mikoto told Sasuke to be nice to me?

"You eat a lot, but you're so skinny…" Why thank you, Sasuke…for confirming something I already _know_. "Why are you making a scary face?"

Please stop talking.

"Chōko has a fast-metabolism," Chōji ended up answering Sasuke's question for me. "Because of it, she has a harder time gaining weight."

"If she gains any, then it's not much," Shikamaru added.

"Does that answer your question?" I looked at Sasuke, hoping that it would get him to ask questions. I've reached a point where I'm afraid I might snap at Sasuke, which is the last thing I wanted to do at a gathering like _this_.

Sasuke thought for a moment…and then turned to Chōji. "Is that why she isn't fat like you?"

Oh shit, you've done it now, boy—wait, no, that's not what I wanted to happen! "Chōji, no!"

…

When Hinata entered the room about fifteen minutes later, her and her clan having just arrived, Shikamaru was teaching me the basics of shōgi, Itachi was lecturing Sasuke about the consequences of lacking tact, and Chōji was on the floor in an unconscious heap. Hinata was quite confused with the scene and was about to ask what had happened, but after hearing the simultaneous "Don't ask" response from Itachi, Sasuke, Shikamaru, and me, she decided not to ask.

Itachi had made all of us _swear_ that we didn't see him knock out Chōji…even though we did. Of course, the only reason Itachi even did that in the first place was because Chōji nearly tackled Sasuke and, while it wouldn't be of much concern if anyone else had done it…Chōji is physically strong and the last thing any of us needed was for one of us to get hurt.

By the way, am I _ever_ glad to see Hinata! "You're here!"

"Y-Yeah…" Hinata nodded her head.

I was so happy…then Neji entered the room and I could literally hear my happiness shatter like glass. Oh boy, this birthday is definitely turning into one that I won't be forgetting any time soon…and I mean that in a bad way. At least, that was what I had thought until Hinata whispered into my ear.

"N-Neji-nii-sama goes quiet wh-whenever your name gets m-mentioned," is what she told me.

"Nuh-uh!" Don't tell me…

"Uh-huh…I th-think you've left q-quite the impression on him." Hinata tried to suppress a mirthful smile that tugged at her lips. "W-Watch…Neji-nii-sama!"

Neji turned his attention to Hinata. "What is it, Hinata-sama?"

"A-Aren't you going to g-greet Chōko-chan?" Hinata asked innocently.

For a brief moment, a scowl crossed Neji's face before his expression went completely blank. He looked in my direction, without actually looking at me, and calmly said, "Good afternoon, Akimichi-san."

"Just Chōko is fine," I said almost automatically.

Neji stiffened, almost as if he hadn't expected me to respond at all. "Very well, Chōko-san…"

I didn't bother saying anything else, because I can tell that Neji was _pissed_ at me. At the same time, he was also very cautious of me, as if I was going to say something that would have caught him completely off guard, as I had done back at the Hyuuga compound.

If this is what the impression I left on him had, then I'm honestly amused…and happy, because I have accomplished my goal. I had made Neji pay.

Awesome.

…

Neji refused to look in my direction after that. In fact, he kept to himself at the far end corner of the room. He kept a watchful eye on Hinata, but whenever he caught me looking at him, he immediately averted his gaze. I had to keep myself from laughing out loud, because, even though Neji wants absolutely nothing to do with me, I didn't want to piss him off…at least, any more than I already have.

Besides, I had much more things to worry about…that being defeating Shikamaru in shōgi. Of course, I already know he's going to beat me, but that doesn't mean I'll won't try!

"Tch, troublesome…" Shikamaru remarked as he made a move.

Please tell me I'm putting him in a corner…I at least want to do that once, because even if I lose, I'll at least have put up a challenge to _some_ extent.

…

…

Did you know that a game of shōgi can go on for hours? Because I certainly did—thank you, _Shion no Ou_, for preparing me for this… Only an hour has passed, but _somehow_…I haven't lost yet.

I call it beginner's luck…actually, it's more like I'm bullshitting my way through this game because I have no fucking clue what I'm doing. Shikamaru tried his best to teach me the rules, but they just went over my head, so all I know is the movement of pieces and I'm surprised I managed to get _that_ down on the first try.

This is probably why Shikamaru hasn't defeated me yet…because I keep catching him off-guard with my bullshit moves.

"That's a bad move," Itachi remarked after I moved a piece.

"Shut up, Itachi!" Gosh, I know I'm a horrible player, but you don't have to rub it in and…I just told him to shut up, didn't I? Oops…

"Ch-Chōko-chan!" Hinata was concerned.

"You can't tell Nii-san to shut up!" Sasuke was mad.

"Troublesome…" Shikamaru couldn't give a damn.

"Wh-What happened?" Chōji just woke up.

And if you listen closely, you can hear the beautiful sound of Neji being quiet.

Meanwhile with Itachi, he was slightly stunned over the fact that a five-year-old girl (me) just told him to shut up without any hesitation. The fact that I did it while saying his first name without any honorifics just made it even more shocking. Yeah, about that…I wasn't thinking—please don't be mad!

"I'm sorry Itachi-san!" I looked down in shame. "I didn't mean to—!"

"I-It's fine," Itachi said calmly. "You just…surprised me."

Yeah, I have that effect on people. Just hope you don't end up like dear Neji over there in the corner—hiiii, I can see you staring! Yeah, you better look away…I am enjoying this way too much.

_Snap!_

And I just lost my piece to Shikamaru!

"Itachi-san is right, that _was_ a bad move." Don't even start, Shikamaru!

…

Shino showed up five minutes later, but we didn't know that for nearly ten minutes because he didn't say anything. If he keeps that up, I am seriously tying a bell on him to notify any of us when he is in the vicinity. At least he'll be capable of doing stealth missions…

"Who is winning?" Shino asked.

"We…don't know." I'm honestly sad to admit that.

"At the moment, you have the upper-hand," Shikamaru remarked.

"Really?!" Holy shit!

_Snap!_

"Had," Shikamaru corrected himself as he took another of my pieces.

"Don't give me false hope!" You're just setting me up for disappointment, ya lazy jerk. "Just for that…take this!"

_Snap!_

…

"You're bad at this." Shut _up_, Sasuke—wait, how come you know the rules?!

…

…

It took a total of two hours and thirty minutes for Shikamaru to _finally_ manage to kick my ass in shōgi. I was mentally exhausted by then…never _again_! It's like playing a game of Munchkin Apocalypse and everyone is going easy on each other instead of backstabbing each other…things go on far longer than they should, when they could've ended earlier, but they didn't… The next time I'm playing Shikamaru, I want it to be when I _know_ how to actually play.

I took off my glasses and rubbed my eyes. "I think I need some fresh air…I'm gonna be outside."

I might as well see if Naruto has arrived yet—what the hell is taking him so long? I would have expected Naruto to be the first person to have arrived, not Shikamaru…then again, his mother was the one who dragged his lazy ass all the way over to the Akimichi compound. Yoshino is a woman not to be crossed.

…

Huh, it's a pretty nice day outside, actually…maybe I should suggest a game of ninja to the others and— "Naruto, what took you so long?!"

Do NOT give me a Kakashi-esque excuse!

Naruto laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry, I just needed to do something first…hey, can you turn around for me?"

I stared at Naruto for a minute, wondering quite briefly if I should really trust this kid before deciding to take my chances. I turned around for Naruto, hoping that it wasn't one of his pranks that he was going to pull on me. I don't mind being pranked (to a certain extent), but I do mind when it's on my birthday.

"Hold still." Naruto, what are you doing—why are you touching my hair? "Don't move!"

"I swear, it better not be a prank." And if it is, it better be one that'll make me laugh, or else I'll get mad.

"It's not!" Naruto insisted. "Sheesh…okay, I'm done!"

Almost immediately, I touched the back of my head, wondering what exactly was it that Naruto had done…What is this in my hair? What exactly am I feeling in the back of my head? "Naruto, what am I touching right now?"

"It's a ribbon!" Naruto replied. "Course, you can't see it right now, but I thought it would look nice on you…"

"You got me a ribbon?" I actually like ribbons, but I never wore one in my hair before…until now! "Thank you!"

Naruto grinned widely. "It's nothing—oh, and happy birthday! I wanted to get something for Chōji, too, but the lady at the shop didn't give me enough time to look for something for him."

"It's fine!" I reassured Naruto. "You can just get him a bag of his favorite potato chips later on."

"Yeah, you're right." Naruto nodded his head.

Even though Naruto is still pretty much hated by the majority in this village, people have started to tolerate him to a certain extent. This is an example of how Naruto's been tolerated. It's not much, but it's a start.

"Come on in, everyone is here!" I exclaimed. "I was just thinking of getting everyone to play a game of ninja!"

"Really? Awesome, dattebayo!" Naruto really likes playing games with others. I'm pretty sure anyone would after years of exclusion and isolation.

…

When I brought Naruto into the room where the others were, Chōji, Shikamaru, Hinata, and Shino were quite quick to greet him. Neji stayed silent, Sasuke started staring, and Itachi's eyes widened slightly. It took me a moment to realize that three of the people in the room have never interacted with Naruto…and judging by the look on Itachi's face, he knows stuff.

"This is Naruto!" I said out loud, as I introduced him to Itachi, Sasuke, and Neji.

Neji didn't even bother to look at Naruto, Itachi seemed to acknowledge the boy, and Sasuke just continued staring…what are you planning?

"Why is the dead-last here?" Sasuke asked in a typically blunt manner.

I…should have expected that…okay, yeah, I didn't. And yeah, even though Naruto knows how to read and his writing skills have improved (he can, in fact, write his own name); he is still dead-last in our class. Of course, it's only been a month, and I'm sure Naruto will eventually move up from his dead-last spot…at least, I hope. He at least has a better chance at improving than he did when he didn't know how to read or write.

"He is my friend!" I said as if it was obvious, hoping that Sasuke would stop asking questions.

Sasuke blinked. "…Why are you friends with the dead-last?"

God dammit, Sasuke, you have no tact!

"Stop calling me dead-last-ttebayo!" Great, now you've pissed Naruto off!

"But it's true!" Shut _up_, Sasuke, you're making it worse!

"That doesn't mean I want to hear it, dattebayo!" Naruto gets enough as is from the rest of our class, because let's face it, no matter who you are, bad grades are still a legitimate reason to be picked on for if you attend the Academy. I am still trying to comprehend how legitimate this reason actually is…

"Hey, is that a ribbon in your hair?" Chōji suddenly asked me, most likely in an attempt to prevent Sasuke and Naruto from getting into a fight by switching the attention onto me. I don't exactly appreciate this, but if it means preventing a fight, then I'll play along.

"Yeah, Naruto gave it to me!" I have no idea what color it is or how it looks, but I already love it!

"It looks weird." Way to be a buzzkill, Sasuke…anything else you'd like say—actually, don't say anything else. "And ugly…"

That was what set Naruto off and had him tackling Sasuke onto the floor.

THUD!

"Take it back-ttebayo!" Naruto demanded as he had Sasuke pinned underneath him.

THUD!

Sasuke managed to flip himself and Naruto over so that their positions were reversed. "No—augh!"

Naruto just kicked Sasuke off of himself…right in front of Itachi. Itachi, why are you just watching? Why aren't any of us doing anything? Don't tell me the bystander effect is still a thing—no, don't fight back, Sasuke!

"Augh!" And that was the sound of Naruto crying out in pain from having Sasuke kick him in the crotch. "_You_!"

And there's the obligatory "teme" I should have seen coming…why didn't I see it coming? I should have expected it the minute Sasuke started calling Naruto, "Dead-last." Seriously, Itachi, _why_ aren't you doing anything? And great, now Naruto and Sasuke are wrestling each other on the floor. Well, it could be worse…

…

…

No wait, it _is_ worse! The gathering of the Four Noble Clans is going on in the next room—this is _not_ something that should happen now! Naruto, Sasuke…I know you two have this future rivalry in the making, but can you _not_ establish it here?! For the love of—if you're not gonna do anything, Itachi, then _I_ will!

"Okay, break it up, you two!" Do _not_ make me use force—okay, fuck it. I'm using force. "Stop fighting!"

…

…

You know, when I ran up to Naruto and Sasuke and shoved them apart, I had been hoping that the adults in the next room wouldn't have heard the loud sound the two made when they landed onto the floor.

"What is going on?!" Too bad they did, and now Uchiha Fugaku wanted answers. Shit.

…

Why is everything quiet all of a sudden? And why are all the adults staring? I slowly turned my head in the direction they were all staring in and soon found myself looking at Naruto.

…

Oh.

_Oh_.

OH SHIT—I forgot Naruto's the village's pariah because of his jinchuuriki status! While the Akimichi clan has been pretty accepting of him, that doesn't mean the rest of the Four Noble Clans were just as accepting! I need to do something quick and—

"Is there something wrong, Otou-san?" Itachi suddenly asked, his question causing all attention to shift toward him. "Have we been too disruptive?"

Fugaku stared at his oldest son and turned to my father, who stood right next to him. I'm not sure what it was he said to my father, but almost right after, Chōza excused himself and everyone else for the interruption. Chōza closed the door right after and I was pretty sure he and the other adults were returning to the other room…probably to talk about something that involves a certain jinchuuriki.

Well, I fucked up…might as well try to make the best of this situation. I tried to suggest that we all play ninja, but then Naruto looked at me and asked, "Why were they looking at me like that?"

I nearly cringed upon seeing the look on Naruto's face. Even though he was smiling, the stream of tears that were trailing down his cheeks revealed how hurt Naruto felt.

"Wh-Why?" Naruto asked again, his voice cracking.

"I don't know…" was all I could even say.

Naruto started crying after hearing my response. I felt a pang in my chest and my eyes beginning to sting. I turned to the others, taking note of how shocked Shikamaru, Chōji, Hinata, and Sasuke all looked. Shino, as expressionless as he usually is, seemed visibly disturbed. Itachi had a melancholic look in his eyes and Neji actually seemed troubled.

This wasn't supposed to happen… God dammit, this was supposed to be a happy day… We were having a great time, and then this shit happened.

"It's not fair…" I'm crying…even though I'm trying not to. It's…hard…especially when you're barely five-years-old. To live in a world that I once thought was fictional was quite the different experience the viewing it from an observer's perspective. It just showed how cruel the world could really be…

…

…

…

* * *

><p>AN This was _supposed_ to be a lighthearted chapter, but then this happened and now we got a crying Naruto. By the way, young Sasuke is fucking difficult to work with and because of that, he ended up becoming this blunt kid who lacks tact. Course, he's only like four years old, so he's bound to change as he grows up…but for the most part, he lacks tact.

And Itachi is sorta easy to work with…sort of, I dunno. I'm working with nine-year-old Itachi here, who is STILL a Genin, by the way. And I tried…I really tried, but somehow Shino still ended up getting little attention in this chapter. God dammit…

And if you're wondering about _Shion no Ou_, it's a manga with a plot revolving around shōgi, so I highly suggest you guys check it out. And Munchkin Apocalypse is this game I play with my college friends where we start at level one and work our way to level ten…all while either teaming up with each other or backstabbing each other. First person to reach level ten wins, so that's why there's the motive for backstabbing…yup. It's pretty fun. But yeah, Munchkin Apocalypse is basically another version of Munchkin, which has the same premise, but without the hassle of seals and more fantasy-oriented.

Also, thanks to Naruto, Chōko now has a ribbon in her hair. She doesn't know what color it is or how it looks, but she loves it nonetheless. AND JUST TO CLARIFY, Neji is the way he is because Chōko caught him badly by surprise in the last chapter. Neji has no idea what to expect and is _extremely_ wary of Chōko…this amuses Hinata, by the way. Let's consider this some form of karma for the way Neji has been treating Hinata…yeah.

I should also clarify that Sasuke only has an interest in Chōko because she seems interesting (eating habits, glasses, and breaking doors) and if you're wondering about Sasha and Potato Girl, yes, I was making an _Attack on Titan_/_Shingeki no Kyojin_ reference. Honestly, I don't think Sasha will ever live down her Potato Girl status…of course, that's why I love her.

And I'm not going into detail about the whole "teme" thing, aside from pointing out that it just really is an extremely rude way to say, "You." I'll leave it at that.

Well, I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! And thank you guys for the reviews, by the way! I really do appreciate you guys taking the time to do that, by the way. Someone asked me if I could post a picture of Chōko, but alas, none exist because KD can't draw for crap.

That's it for now, so until next time, everyone! KD out! XD


	9. Friends

Right after I started crying, Sasuke followed in suit…then Hinata, Chōji, and Shikamaru. Even Shino started crying, but he was quiet about it, unlike the rest of us. And though he tried to hide it, Neji, too, was also crying. He had tried to make it seem as if he hadn't been bothered by the fact that Naruto and the rest of us were crying…and failed.

Only Itachi wasn't crying…but he was visibly distressed to be in a room full of crying children. For a nine-year-old, this was probably a nightmare. He just looked at all of us as we cried and then promptly left the room. Less than five minutes later, Mikoto barged into the room and witnessed the chaos that was before her.

Slowly, one by one, the rest of the adults showed up. They stared at us as we cried, most likely wondering what exactly the cause was. When Itachi moved his way to the front of the crowd that had gathered around the doorway, Sasuke looked at him and asked a very good question.

"Why is everyone mean to Naruto?" was the question Sasuke asked that had every one of us thinking.

It made Hinata, Chōji, Shikamaru, and I cry even harder, with Sasuke doing the same immediately right after. I really don't like crying…I did enough of that as a kid in my past life. I wanted to stop, but the tears won't stop and my chest just _hurts_. I couldn't exactly tell what was going on after that, as I was too busy bawling my eyes out. All I know is that someone, Mikoto, most likely, had Itachi take all us kids outside of the Akimichi compound.

I have no idea how long we were crying, but apparently, it was long enough for all of us to pass out. Because the next thing I knew, I was waking up. I took off my glasses and rubbed my eyes, putting my glasses back on to take a better look at my surroundings. Itachi and Neji were sitting together, with their backs against a tree. Sasuke, Naruto, Hinata, Chōji, and Shikamaru were all sleeping on the grass. Shino seemed to be awake, from the way he just looked at me upon realizing that I had woken up.

"Wh-What happened?" I found myself asking.

"Most of us fell asleep," Shino replied. "Itachi-san and Neji-san have been watching over us…I woke up just a few minutes ago. How are you doing?"

I blinked. "I think…I'm fine?"

"You're not sure." Shino's tone was frank.

I frowned. "Yeah…hey, Itachi-san…what's going to happen?"

Itachi focused his eyes on me. "I don't know…anything could happen."

"Nii-saaaan!" Okay, Sasuke just woke up. "Are we in trouble?"

Itachi thought for a moment. "No…but the adults are talking."

"Probably about Naruto," I huffed.

"Most likely about Naruto-kun," Shino agreed. "Why? Because Naruto-kun is someone people in this village don't want to associate with…with the exception of us."

I wasn't lying about how awkward Shino's manner of speaking could come off as awkward. At least he doesn't make an idiot out of himself (like me), but awkward is still awkward.

"Why do you even associate with Uzumaki?" Ah, and he speaks! Neji, you better be prepared because I won't go easy on you if you step out of line.

"You can thank Chōko for that." Aaaand Shikamaru woke up and pretty much caught me off guard because now everyone is looking at me.

"Uh…uuuuhhhh…" C'mon, Chōko, you know how to word…sort of. "Food?"

Dammit, Chōko, you don't have food this time to fix everything!

"What kind?" Chōji, you picked the best time to wake up. "Wait, what happened?"

"We fell asleep…" Shikamaru said before yawning loudly. "Troublesome…"

Chōji rubbed his eyes and then stretched out his arms. "So what's going on right now?"

"We're answering Neji-san's question on why we're friends with Naruto," Shikamaru explained. "And I said it's because of your sister."

"Ooh yeah!" Chōji grinned. "You're right about that!"

I sputtered. "Ch-Ch-Chōji!"

Chōji rubbed the back of his head. "Well, it's because of you that we decided to hang out with Naruto…I mean, you two were having trouble reading."

"And then we found out that the reason Chōko had problems reading is because she needs glasses…" No one needed to know that, Shikamaru.

"Is that why you wear glasses?" Except for Sasuke…and now that I realize it, thank you, Shikamaru, for answering a question Sasuke was eventually going to ask me…probably. "I didn't know that!"

"Well, now you know!" Oh my god, this conversation is getting off topic—oh, fuck you, irony. I do not appreciate you! "And yes, it's because of _me_, that everyone is friends with Naruto! I introduced Hinata to Naruto and, according to Chōji, I'm the reason he and Shikamaru are friends with Naruto. Shino…why are _you_ friends with Naruto?"

Shino just joined our circle of friends…just like that, I mean.

"Aren't we all friends?" That's a valid point, Shino.

"Well, there you have it!" I'm honestly surprised Hinata and Naruto are still asleep and—scratch that, make that just Naruto. Hinata just woke up. "Does that answer your question, Neji?"

…

Oops, forgot the honorific—no one heard that!

"Wow, you're really rude." Oh, shut up, Sasuke. I don't want to hear the pot calling the kettle black. "Ow!"

"You shouldn't be talking, Sasuke," Itachi said after poking his little brother on the forehead. Thank you for that, by the way.

"N-Neji-nii-sama, are you o-okay?" Hinata's question towards Neji caught my attention.

"I'm fine," Neji insisted, even though the blush on his face said otherwise.

"Your face says otherwise, Hyuuga-san," Itachi remarked.

Neji scowled. "I did not ask for your input, Uchiha-san."

"Okay, that's enough out of you two!" You two are like one off-hand comment away from fighting! Be it, it'll be a one-sided fight since Itachi is a pacifist (even so, he can still probably kick ass without hurting people too seriously), but a fight nonetheless! "Conflict will only lead to problems, especially since you two are an Uchiha and a Hyuuga!"

…

…

"I apologize for yelling!" I was quick to blurt out when Itachi and Neji started staring at me.

"No…it's fine." Itachi didn't seem to mind. "You're right…we were on the verge of conflict, weren't we, Hyuuga-san?"

Neji didn't look like he wanted to admit it, but he did. "Correct…I should be the one apologizing."

And he did, though a bit begrudgingly…but still, Neji apologized. I guess this is what happens when Uchiha Itachi is in the vicinity.

"Though, what are we going to do about him?" Itachi turned his attention to Naruto, who was still asleep on the ground.

Naruto looked so calm, and at peace…so very much different from how he had appeared when he asked why everyone had been staring at him. The poor kid was probably used to being stared at like that, but seeing his friends' families doing that were probably what did it in for him. Of course, he doesn't know…he doesn't know how Hinata had to stand up for herself when her father wanted her to stop being friends with him.

I'm pretty sure the Aburame clan could care less, as Shino said his family respected the people he decided to associate with, as it was his choice. I guess the only reason they were staring is because they hadn't been expecting to see Naruto. I mean, with the Hyuuga clan and Uchiha clan over, I wouldn't blame them…well, how was I supposed to know this birthday turned into a gathering for the Four Noble Clans of Konoha?!

Still, I should have realized something from the minute Naruto tied the ribbon into my hair and why are you staring, Shino?

"Your ribbon is off," he suddenly said. "The tie is messy and uneven…"

I blinked a few times and realized…this is probably why Sasuke said it looked weird and ugly. Naruto and Sasuke got into a fight because of a miscommunication…god dammit, this is why people need to learn how to speak! If there's anything I learned when I read _Frankenstein_ during my senior year of high school, it's that shit like this can _kill_! And that it's thanks to Hollywood that people keep making a mistake that Frankenstein is the monster, when he really is the doctor because the Creature never got a name and—oh my god, Chōko, stop being a _nerd_!

"Would you mind if I fix it?" Shino asked.

"Ah…you can…" I was a little surprised to hear Shino even asking that, I mean…I'd expect Hinata to be the one to ask this, but I guess this is fine… "Do you…want me to get closer?"

Shino nodded his head.

…

After Shino fixed my ribbon, Sasuke took one look at me and smiled.

"It's pretty now!" I was right…it was the tie.

"Wh-What's pretty?" Looks like Naruto just woke up…

"Hey sleepyhead, you awake now?" I hope Naruto was feeling a little better now.

Naruto rubbed his eyes and yawned. "Y-Yeah…hey, am I…am I in trouble?"

"I hope not." I'd be really mad if Naruto got in trouble for doing absolutely nothing…actually, he and Sasuke _did_ get in a fight, so there's that… But I swear, if that isn't the reason Naruto gets in trouble, _if_ he does…then I'm gonna break a door! I'm gonna break all the doors! ALL OF THEM!

_Growl._

Oh, screw you, stomach… "Ugh…I'm hungry…"

"Nii-san, let's go eat!" Well, aren't you trying to get on my good side, Sasuke.

…

Itachi, being the older brother he is to Sasuke and the cool kid towards the rest of us, decided to take us out to eat. He took us to an Akimichi clan restaurant upon hearing about the discount. Again, that discount is a very lovely thing to have. About fifteen minutes after entering the restaurant, we all came out of it, each carrying a bento box.

We all returned to our previous location by the tree, where we had fallen asleep under after crying. Itachi seemed rather relaxed now, as did Neji, but only by a bit. Naruto seemed to be in a better mood and Hinata was happy. I was also happy, as was Chōji and Shikamaru couldn't probably give a damn, but he did seem to be having a good time. Sasuke was scarfing down the tomatoes that were in his bento box, so he was enjoying himself. Shino…well, he was eating, so I can only assume he likes the food. It's difficult to read Shino's expressions at times…

"Hey…do you guys…do you guys hate me-ttebayo?" Naruto, where the hell did you ever get that idea? "When adults look at me like that, their kids tend to hate me…"

Oh fuck, he's learning…go away, feels! I need to be the supporting friend! "I don't hate you!"

…

…

Okay, wow, that came out louder than it should have. It definitely sounded quieter in my head…and now everyone is looking at me…

"Wh-Why would you th-think that?" At least Hinata is trying to be a supporting friend, too.

"If I hated you, I wouldn't have bothered teaching you how to read." Nice point you got there, Shikamaru.

"Shikamaru is telling the truth," Chōji remarked.

"Why were they staring, then?" Naruto looked expectantly at me. He wanted an answer, one that I knew, but couldn't to tell him…

"I haven't an idea why, but the majority of this village wishes to dissociate with you." Shino took the task of answering Naruto's question. "We happen to be the exception…most of us, at least."

"I don't hate you!" Sasuke seemed to want to make that fact clear. "I barely know you, so why would I hate you?"

"I don't necessarily hold any particular emotion toward Naruto," Itachi stated. "But I can assure you that, whatever emotion I do hold toward Naruto, it isn't anything remotely negative."

Neji is the only one of us who didn't say anything. He probably has nothing nice to say. If that is the case, then I'm glad he's staying quiet.

"Please don't cry, Naruto…" Because if you cry, then I'll cry and then everyone else will also cry…except Itachi, he'll just panic and go to the adults for some sort of aid. I think it is safe to say that, at Itachi's current age and state, crying children are his weakness. He was not trained for this. "You're not alone, ya know."

"I'm…not?" Naruto paused for a moment. A few seconds passed and a huge grin crossed his face as he loudly exclaimed, "I'm not alone!"

"You only just realize that now?" We've been friends for over a month now, Naruto. You are part of a circle of friends. Iruka-sensei has been teaching you how to write. Loneliness is something you should _not_ be experiencing…unless—wait…_oh god_.

"It's just…I didn't think this was what it mean to not be alone!" Naruto, you idiot—I didn't need you confirming my horror! "It's…nice."

Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry, don't cry—dammit, I'm crying! "Y-You i-idiot…!"

"I'm not an idiot, I—Chōko-chan! Why are you crying-ttebayo?!" Naruto started panicking upon noticing that I was crying. "W-Was it something I said, dattebayo?! H-Hey—Chōko-chan!"

"Just shut up, you idiot!" I took off my glasses and tried my very best to wipe away the tears, but the tears! They just kept coming! Why won't they stop?! "I hate this…"

"Oooohh, I see!" Naruto started laughing. "This is like that one time at Ichiraku Ramen! You know, when I took you and Hinata-chan there!"

Naruto, please don't bring up that moment…

"Aah, th-that's right!" Hinata agreed. "Chōko-chan s-started crying because y-you said something, N-Naruto-kun."

Hinata, please don't help out…

"Huh, what did I say-ttebayo?" Naruto rubbed the back of his head.

Good, he doesn't remember that well…

"Y-You said you were h-happy that someone wasn't m-mean to you," Hinata replied.

"You two are the worst friends _ever_!" I whined as I continued to rub my eyes. "Uugh…"

"It seems Chōko-san is capable of being this sensitive," Shino remarked, almost sounding intrigued.

"It just shows she cares," Chōji said with a grin.

"That's one heck of a way to show it." Shikamaru seemed amused.

"No one asked for your opinion!" I turned away from Shikamaru in a huff. "Geez…"

At least I've stopped crying…no, the tears are still there. Ugh, dammit, I hate this…

"Tsuntsun!" Sasuke was quick to exclaim.

"What?" I turned to Sasuke, who was currently pointing at me.

"Tsuntsun!" Sasuke repeated. "That's what you are—ow!"

"Sasuke, it isn't polite to point at people," Itachi said after he had finished poking Sasuke on the forehead. "You're being rather rude today…"

"Sorry Nii-san…" Sasuke apologized. "But she is tsuntsun…"

"I am not!" I snapped.

"You certainly sound like it right now." I'd rather not hear it coming from you, Neji—holy shit, you're actually talking!

"Hey, you stopped crying-ttebayo!" Naruto exclaimed, catching me completely off-guard.

I blinked a few times and rubbed my eyes, realizing that Naruto was in fact, correct. I blinked again and put my glasses back on. Oh man, it feels nice to see nearby objects again and not have my vision blurred by tears and my hyperopia. "Finally…"

"Hey glasses girl!" Sasuke suddenly called out to me.

I narrowed my eyes at Sasuke. "I have a name…it's Chōko."

"Okay, Chōko!" Sasuke was quick to correct himself. "Say, we're friends, right?"

"What?" Okay, give me a moment to process what you just said, Sasuke. "Friends…?"

Sasuke nodded his head. "Yeah, friends! I mean…that is…if you're fine with it…are you?"

"Since we first met, you've been a rude little kid to me…and you're asking if we're friends?" Really, Sasuke, really?

Sasuke looked sheepishly at me. "S-Sorry…"

"Nah, I'm just messing with ya!" Dude, I _love_ having friends…like, I have a hard time making them, so the fact this kid wants to be friends is just…I'm honestly happy. "We're friends, Sasuke!"

"Does this mean I can be part of your group?" Sasuke looked at everyone else. "Huh? Can I?"

…

Okay, it seems that Sasuke has been eyeing my circle of friends for a while, which probably explains why he was talking about it (or rather, me) nonstop to his mother, Mikoto. Though, I haven't an idea why he asked me if he could be part of it. It's not as if I'm the leader…wait a second…

"Am I the leader to our group?" I have a dire question that needs to be answered. "Seriously, am I?"

"You're the reason most of us are friends," Shikamaru stated.

"Going by that logic, I believe you are indeed leader." Welp, Shino says it all.

…

FUCK.

…

…

…

* * *

><p>AN Updated a little later than usual, sorry about that…been a little busy. Anyways, one thing I noticed about Chōko is that she's literally the reason that Naruto has so many friends…and why everyone is friends. It's funny, if you think about it, for someone who isn't a social butterfly to make so many friends. It's almost ironic, but not a bad ironic…it's the type of irony that Chōko would tolerate. By the by, if you're wondering about Chōko's reaction, it's because she doesn't want to be leader.

Anyways, Itachi has no idea how idea how to handle crying children, if you have noticed. Naruto stopped crying, so that's a plus! And Neji is capable of showing sympathy towards Naruto. On the subject of Neji, he's like five going on six years old. Neji might try to suppress certain emotions, but he is still a child. He can only hide what he really feels for so long, especially around Naruto. Naruto seems to have that effect on people.

And I think it's safe to say that, after this chapter, Sasuke is now part of Chōko's circle of friends. Circle of friends, circle of friends…friends are a nice thing to have, ya know. And if you're wondering about the whole "tsuntsun" thing, let me explain a thing.

Tsuntsun can basically mean aloof, pointed, angry or mean. While Chōko is usually a friendly person, she does have a tendency to act harsh when she gets defensive about herself. She never means it, though, but the fact still stands that she has a tendency to act "tsuntsun." So the fact that Neji was the one who was saying that is the reason Chōko didn't want to hear it from him…since Neji isn't the nicest person around. Neji is basically "tsuntsun" himself.

If you find this familiar, it's because this is where the term "tsundere" is derived from, a tsundere being someone who "runs hot and cold", alternating between two distinct moods: tsuntsun (_aloof_ or _irritable_) and deredere (_lovestruck_ or _affectionate_).

If you think about it, Chōko could be considered what TVtropes would call a Sweet Tsundere, that is to say, a tsundere with deredere as their default mood, with a violent side to them that is usually triggered under certain circumstances. I honestly think Chōko is more of a dandere, which is basically someone who is shy, but around the right person/persons, talkative and sweet. A dandere tends to feel more power in numbers. If they're with a group that they're comfortable with, then the shyness factor of said dandere will very likely decrease if another, unfamiliar person is introduced at that time. Sounds more like Chōko, no?

Well, that's enough about pointless information! I at least hope you guys found it interesting… Anyways, since this story managed to reach over ten reviews, that means it's time for me to start the shout outs, which is something I have been doing since _Façade_.

Shout out goes to **gincitri** for being reviewer #10 and a notable mention goes to **tinybrowgirl**! Just a bit of a heads up, I give shout outs to every tenth reviewer. Again, it's a thing I've started doing since _Façade_, my Persona 4 genderbender fic that I'm hoping to start updating again in December. Keep your fingers crossed, _Façade_ readers!

Well, I hope you readers enjoyed this chapter! I certainly did, so until next time, everyone! KD out! XD


	10. Change

When we had finished eating, Itachi brought us back to the Akimichi compound. We returned to the room where all of us had been in earlier. It was quiet…and a little awkward, if you think about it, since the adults were still in the room next door. Naruto seemed rather tense, but then Shikamaru asked him if he wanted to learn how to play shōgi.

Hinata, Shino, Chōji, Sasuke, and I sat around the shōgi board as Shikamaru taught Naruto the rules of shōgi. Itachi sat nearby us to keep a close eye on us, like the good babysitter he is. And Neji, surprisingly, decided not to isolate himself away from us (and me). He, instead, sat next to Itachi, who seemed a tad bit amused with the slight change in character the Hyuuga had.

About half an hour later, Naruto was still learning the basics of shōgi, but was getting the hang of it and doing somewhat decent against Shikamaru, who, let's be honest, was going to win. It was around this time that the door opened and, almost reflexively, all of us turned our heads. We were all a little tense, but I think we all relaxed upon seeing Sasuke's mother, Mikoto, enter the room.

Mikoto approached us tentatively, almost afraid that any wrong move could set us off. As she neared us, Naruto tensed, having noticed that Mikoto was looking at him. He looked at me for reassurance, since I was the reason Naruto was even here today in the first place. I was about ready to say something, but Mikoto beat me to it.

"You're Naruto-kun, aren't you?" Mikoto's tone was soft and gentle.

Naruto looked nervously at Mikoto as he timidly nodded his head.

"Okaa-san, you're not going to be mean to him, are you?" Sasuke, who had been sitting next to Naruto, inched closer to the blond-haired boy. "Are you?"

"No…I just wanted to ask him a question," Mikoto replied as she knelt down to our level. "Since Itachi's birthday is coming up, I was wondering if you would like to come over to the Uchiha compound for it…would you?"

Naruto stared agape at Mikoto. "W-Would I?"

Mikoto smiled warmly at Naruto. "Do you want to, Naruto-kun?"

"O-Of course I do, dattebayo!" Naruto was completely ecstatic, a large grin crossing his face.

Mikoto looked about ready to cry upon seeing Naruto's reaction. She excused herself and then walked out of the room. I didn't know exactly how I should feel about this, but then I remembered a detail that I had learned about Mikoto. Mikoto had been friends with Naruto's mother, Kushina…Kushina had her own verbal tic that was "dattebane" and hearing Naruto's "dattebayo" must have unearthed some past memories, since Kushina is, well, dead…

Now I just made myself sad…but at the same time, I feel happy. It's like a bittersweet feeling, just seeing how happy Naruto was, and realizing that Mikoto must have seen Kushina in Naruto. Still, the fact that Mikoto had invited Naruto over to the Uchiha compound for Itachi's birthday means that the Uchiha clan is willing to associate with the kid…to a certain extent, as far as I know. I wonder if this is a sign of change…I can only hope.

…

…

Since Sasuke joined our circle of friends, you can bet that we saw an increase of Itachi's presence in our lives…whenever Itachi wasn't busy being a Genin. Naruto was all over Itachi for that, and Sasuke couldn't be any prouder. Itachi just seemed pretty neutral, if a bit amused with how Neji was slowly being dragged unwillingly into our circle of friends. I'm still leader of this circle of friends, by the way…and I really want that to change.

Of course, no one really trusts Naruto to be leader, much to his annoyance, and Hinata refused, saying that I made a better leader (which is bullshit). Chōji flat-out stated that he wouldn't be a good older brother if he took my leader status away from me…the traitor. Shikamaru said it would be too troublesome for him to be leader and Shino already accepted me as leader, using means of the insect hierarchy to explain the situation. I'm not exactly happy with his explanation, but there was no changing his mind after that…and Sasuke was pretty cool with me being leader.

I am friends with people who have no idea of the recklessness I am capable of…they are going to regret everything. And, unlike any other situation, I will not be laughing once they find out the hard way, because chances are, I'll be finding out the hard way as well.

At least Neji had some sense in disagreeing with everyone, but at the same time, he included his fatalism in his reasons, which I didn't want to hear and made him promptly shut up by saying his name without an honorific. That…tends to happen whenever I get annoyed or mad. It tends to be embarrassing for me, because I can come off as rude when I do that and everyone just stares at me for it. Again, it's just embarrassing…

Naruto is at least improving academically. He's by no means a prodigy, which is, in hindsight, a good thing…he's still far behind, but he isn't _completely_ dead-last as he had been originally. That still doesn't mean everyone has stopped picking on him. In fact, no matter how much I make a big deal over how Naruto has been improving, to everyone else (that isn't within our circle of friends), Naruto is still dead-last. I'm thinking this might be a sign of denial, since no one really wants to admit that Naruto has been improving.

Sasuke is currently at the top of our class, which is no surprise. Hinata and I are actually tied for second place, and I'm honestly surprised I'm actually doing that well… Then again, I spent a good amount of years in my past life being afraid of failure when it came to academics… It's a fear that never leaves! It _never_ **leaves**!

Shino is averagely good and Chōji is at least doing better than Naruto, as is Shikamaru…the lazy ass. And from what Hinata has told me, Neji is at the top of his class, which, again, is no surprise.

Month two of kunoichi classes consisted of calligraphy. I wasn't exactly looking forward to it, but by the end of the month, I noticed an _immense_ improvement in my writing, so I'd be lying if I said the class was a waste of time. I will say this…I am quite aware that there are cons to wearing my hair in a braid and one of those cons is having the end of the braid used as a calligraphy brush. I have no idea who did it or how they managed to get ink on my hair, as my hair isn't _that_ long, but I had a slight suspicion that it was either Ami or one of her friends, Kasumi or Fuki.

I mean, Suzume-sensei has been putting me in the spotlight as of lately upon noticing how much I've improved. She's always had her eye on me ever since the ikebana test. Did you know that I was one of four girls who passed the ikebana test? I did that…I also scored highly, just behind Ino and Hinata, who scored the highest out of all of us. Everyone else after me did either decently (enough to pass, which only one person did, and that was Sakura) or terrible (the majority of the class). And if you want to know how I managed to score highly, I have no idea. I totally bullshitted that test, but I'm not gonna openly admit that, since I'll just piss off the girls who didn't pass and had to take remedial lessons because of it.

In regards to the toxicology and non-toxicology of plants and flowers, everyone passed that test and I did averagely well. Not like that matters as everyone knows me as one of the girls who didn't have to take the remedial lessons for ikebana. I stood out the most because of this as Ino and Hinata had been expected to score highly, and Sakura has Ino as a friend, so again, it was only expected because of her connections with Ino. While it could be argued that I had Hinata as a friend, the fact still stands that I did better than Sakura instead of being on her level. And with Suzume-sensei putting me in the spotlight because of my improvements in calligraphy, this only makes me stand out even _more_…

So I have a number of girls who are jealous of me, with Ami, Kasumi, and Fuki being the most prominent of those girls. I've had girls bump into me purposely as I'm writing, therefore ruining whatever progress I had been making on my paper. I've had ink spilled on my finished calligraphy. I have even had my papers ripped up, with my progress gone to waste because of it. In all those cases, I have been forced to start over.

And the thing about calligraphy is that for any particular piece of paper, the calligrapher has but one chance, and one chance only, to create something with the brush. The brush strokes cannot be corrected, and even a lack of confidence shows up in the work, as Suzume-sensei says. She then adds that the calligrapher must concentrate and be fluid in execution. It is as difficult as it freaking sounds.

So I guess I could say the reason for the huge spike in improvement was a result of girls forcing me to start over from scratch. It certainly seems plausible…and ironic. Not sure if I should appreciate it. I mean, on one hand, I'm doing well, but on the other hand, I'm getting picked on…and if I do badly, I'll probably never hear the end of it. Ugh, this is like the worst scenario ever…and it only adds more weight to the fear of failure. The fear just never leaves, I say! It just gets worse…

Despite this, life continued on as usual…and on Itachi's tenth birthday, which was also turned into a gathering for the Four Noble Clans, Naruto was actually welcomed into the Uchiha compound. No one even protested. Of course, a good number of the Uchiha did look at Naruto with strained expressions and the Hyuuga avoided looking at Naruto entirely. It's not exactly much, but it's a start.

Since then, visits to the Uchiha compound have increased, with Naruto always being welcomed.

By Sasuke's fifth birthday, which turned into yet another gathering, the strained expressions from the Uchiha lessened and the Hyuuga have started looking at Naruto. Naruto still wasn't allowed onto the Hyuuga compound, which is predictable.

School remained relatively the same, with the only difference being that Naruto was still improving. Naruto was catching up to Shikamaru, who took it as a challenge and decided to put a little more extra effort into his exams. Chōji decided to pick up the pace as well and improved a bit. Both he and Shikamaru are still doing better than Naruto, who is only growing annoyed, especially since Sasuke keeps flaunting his perfect scores.

Kunoichi classes became increasingly difficult once Suzume-sensei introduced us to musical instruments. Now I'm willing to put in effort into anything remotely musical (so long as it isn't theory, because I suck at that). I've been a band geek in my past life since the fourth grade up until the day of my high school graduation, so I felt rather excited that we were learning how to play musical instruments…then I found out the learning objective for this month's course.

Each of us was assigned to a certain instrument, which is pretty cool, except guess who got the simple-looking samisen and the complicated-looking koto? I can tell you for certain, I didn't get the kokyū (Sakura did, in case you're wondering). Hinata was lucky enough to get the simple-looking samisen, while I was stuck with the freaking koto.

The koto I was assigned was to be a thirteen-stringed koto, modified for my playing convenience. Thirteen…just looking at the number made me realize…the number thirteen is still a part of my life. From my birth, being the young twin by about thirteen minutes, to this…it's like my past life. One way or another, I somehow end up encountering the number in my past life, whether it's my number on a softball team, or a number I encounter in video games (I'm looking at you, _Kingdom Hearts_), or even the year I graduated from high school… It's just a number that seems to favor me. I'm not triskaidekaphobic; I just find the number rather intriguing.

Now upon being assigned our instrument, we were given that month, plus the entirety of summer vacation (which, by the way, wasn't a civilian-exclusive, so yay) to learn how to play it. We don't have to be complete professionals; we have to at least be decent at it. Suzume-sensei made sure we weren't completely blind by having other kunoichi, other than herself, to help teach us the basics. Hinata and I were taught by a kunoichi named Hotaru.

Hotaru-sensei was a very informative young lady who seemed quite pleased to see how fast Hinata and I were learning how to play our instruments. It kinda helps that Hinata's mother, Himawari, knew how to play both the koto and the samisen, and that my visits to the Hyuuga compound have recently increased because of it. I guess you can say Hinata and I sort of cheated…then again, it was never against the rules to ask for outside help, so there's that.

Still, I do not like the koto…I do not like the blisters I've been getting on my fingers. I certainly do not like how much they hurt. Hinata is facing the same problem as me. In fact, most of the girls are facing this problem…except for Ino, Fuki, and a couple of other girls, who got the shakuhachi…the lucky punks.

When everyone in the Academy was let out for summer vacation, Hinata and I were quick to discard our instruments and take a break. We freaking needed that break…and Himawari said it was fine for us to enjoy our summer vacation. She still said it was necessary for us to practice at least twice a week, so there's that…still, _freedom_! Sweet, sweet freedom…

"Hey, hey, are any of you gonna go to the summer festival?" Sasuke decided to ask all of us during a visit to the Uchiha compound. At the moment, he was playing a game of shōgi with Shikamaru…and was doing quite decently. Hinata, Shino, Naruto, Chōji, and I sat around them, watching them as they played. Itachi was stuck babysitting us and Neji was just there.

"When's that again?" Shikamaru asked as he moved a piece across the board.

"I-I think i-it's next week…" Hinata didn't seem too sure.

"It is," Neji confirmed in a somewhat curt tone. "Hinata-sama, this is something you should already know."

"Neji, Hinata and I have been busy…so excuse us if something as simple as a festival date passes any one of our minds." I want to see you try learning how to play the samisen, Neji and—I omitted the honorific, didn't I?

"Heehee." Hinata tried to stifle a couple of giggles as she looked at Neji's flustered face. "A-Are you okay, Neji-nii-sama?"

"I believe Hyuuga-san's face speaks for itself," Itachi remarked, immediately earning a glare from Neji.

"So, are you going to the summer festival?" Sasuke decided to bring our attention back to his question. "Nii-san's taking me!"

"N-Neji-nii-sama is t-taking me…" Hinata replied. "I w-want to try and w-win a goldfish…"

"Well, I don't have anything better to do, so I might as well go." Even if it means I have to wear a yukata…bluh, restricted movement… At least it's lighter than a kimono…

"I'm in!" Chōji was quick to exclaim. "Festival food is the best!"

"Guess that means I'll be going, then…" Shikamaru sighed. "Troublesome."

"I will also participate," Shino said. "I assume we will be meeting up for the fireworks display?"

"Are we, leader?" Sasuke looked questioningly at me.

"Stop calling me that!" Dammit, I want that title to fade into obscurity! "Hey, Naruto, you haven't said anything. Are you gonna go?"

Naruto blinked. "I don't know. I've never been to one and when I tried going to last year's summer festival, everyone started staring at me, so I just left. I don't think I'm wanted…it looks fun, though. Is it fun?"

…

"Wh-Why don't you s-see for yourself, Naruto-kun?" Hinata was quick ask. "I-I mean…it wouldn't be the s-same without you."

"Yeah!" Sasuke agreed. "Who else is going to lose to me in any of the games?"

Naruto scowled at Sasuke. "Like hell I'm gonna lose to you, dattebayo!"

"So then you're going?" I looked questioningly at Naruto.

"Uh…" Naruto seemed confused. "Um…"

"Your presence is required at the festival if you wish to challenge Sasuke-kun," Shino explained. "If you do not participate, then Sasuke-kun will win by default…do you wish for that to happen?"

"Hell no!" Naruto exclaimed. "I'm gonna go and kick your ass, dattebayo! You hear that, Sasuke?!"

"Loud and clear," Sasuke replied.

"I guess everyone is going, then!" Chōji grinned widely.

Shikamaru smirked when he looked at me. "So, leader…would that be a yes or no on the meet up for the fireworks display?"

"Oh, you are doing that on purpose!" I am not amused, dammit! There is nothing amusing about this, so you guys can just stop laughing—hey! "Stop laughing—you guys are the _worst_!"

Even Itachi is laughing and I think Neji is getting a kick out of this. What is my life? Just…what is it? Neji, I swear, you better enjoy this while it lasts, because it's not going to happen again! Of course, knowing my luck, it probably will.

C'est la vie.

…

…

…

* * *

><p>AN So I ended up spending some time looking at some traditional Japanese instruments and I came across the koto, kokyū, shakuhachi, and samisen. The shakuhachi is basically a flute, the samisen is a 3-stringed instrument, the kokyū is a bowed instrument, and the koto is, typically, a 13-stringed instrument (nowadays, there are koto with even more strings). Speaking of the number 13, yes, this number has popped up a number of times in my life. I find it funny.

Also, you know that feel when the teacher puts you in the spotlight because you did well on something that everyone else had trouble on? Yeah, that happened to me…the only difference between Chōko and I, is that I had confidentiality. And nothing is worse than bullshitting a test and scoring higher than a friend who studied their ass off. I'll leave it at that…

By the by, I've taken a look at the ending to Naruto and let me just say…I named Hinata's mother Himawari because the name was fitting, not because of Uzumaki Himawari! It was a total coincidence…one hell of a huge coincidence, but a coincidence nonetheless! Seriously, though…that fucking coincidence. **ChibiFoxAI** was the one who told me about this…she's also the friend who told me about Kushina and Mikoto, so yeah…

Moving on, one thing I'd like to point out that Chōko hasn't noticed yet is that Naruto's friends have started taking the initiative to cheering him up, instead of just Chōko. Change is occurring, and the Uchiha clan has taken to associating with Naruto, despite his jinchuuriki status. The Hyuuga clan is slowly opening up to Naruto. And Naruto is also improving academically. It's slow, but change nonetheless.

Chōko still doesn't like being called leader, Itachi is the designated babysitter, and Neji is just there… Oh, and he's finally six-years-old. The reason I didn't go into his birthday is because nothing much really happened, it just happened. Plus, I doubt Neji would really tell anyone when his birthday was and he probably made Hinata keep it a secret. Neji is just being Neji.

Well, that's about it for this chapter, so I hope you guys enjoyed it. I keep trying to make long chapters, but I'm guessing it'll take a while before that'll happen. So until next time, everyone! KD out! XD


	11. Summer Festival

Wanna know what I don't like about playing the koto? It's the sitting position…I have to keep that stupid position, which is the correct way of seiza, as I play the damn instrument. Even though I'm getting the hang of this thirteen-stringed instrument, Himawari keeps having to correct me on my sitting position. Hinata is already used to sitting in the correct way of seiza, as that is a requirement of sorts to being a Hyuuga. And, unlike me, Hinata doesn't have to worry about playing an instrument that is on the floor, as she has to hold her samisen…the lucky girl.

By the way, did I ever mention that Himawari has been making me wear a kimono whenever I come over for koto lessons? I believe I haven't…because that is definitely a thing. Like, just a few days ago, she told me to wear my kimono the next time I came over, that time being today. If I thought sitting seiza-style was difficult enough as before, then I sure as hell was proven _wrong_ because seiza is much _more_ difficult while wearing a kimono. This is what happens when you're born in the Akimichi clan. For the most part, we're pretty casual in comparison to the Aburame clan, the Uchiha clan, and the Hyuuga clan. We can be quite formal when we want to be (especially to those who deserve respect), but not as often. And because of that, I am not used to being completely formal and knowing stuff like this, which is something I am probably going to learn in a kunoichi class.

Hinata, on the other hand, is the complete opposite. As I have mentioned before, she is a Hyuuga, by far the most formal of the Four Noble Clans, with the Uchiha coming in second, as they are a tad bit more lax in comparison to the Hyuuga. The Aburame are quite formal in terms of communication and mannerisms, but their appearance, in regards to clothing, is what separates them from being as formal as the Uchiha and Hyuuga. I can only assume the reason for the Akimichi clan's informality is to establish a sense of intimacy.

…I think this might be the actual reason Himawari is having me wear my kimono. She is trying to get me used to being formal. I'd appreciate it, if I wasn't learning how to do it as I play this effing koto. Seiza is simple, if a bit difficult…seiza is somewhat difficult while playing the koto, but still manageable…seiza is fucking difficult while wearing a kimono and playing the koto—I have no idea how I am going to get used to this, dammit!

"It just takes some time getting used to, Chōko-chan," Himawari tried to reassure me. "The more often you do it, the easier it is to adjust."

"Hmm…" It's honestly difficult to stay mad around this woman, because Himawari is a gem. I do get what Himawari is trying to say, but at the same time, Himawari is implying I practice playing the koto more often in my kimono. I don't know how to feel about this…

At least I'm not alone in this, as Hinata is currently getting her cute on with her kimono. I really love the lilac-colored obi and floral pattern she has on her mostly white kimono…stop getting distracted, Chōko!

"Okay, Chōko-chan, Hinata-chan…you can take a break!" Himawari told us about half an hour into the practice session. "I'll have Neji-kun bring you two some tea, so relax. Now if you'll excuse me, I'll be going."

Himawari stood up and then left the room promptly. Once I was sure she was out of earshot, I let out a loud sigh and slumped over the tatami floor. I do not care how informal I am coming off as, especially since I am a lady (damn you, gendered etiquette). I am exhausted and Himawari said Hinata and I could relax…and dammit, I am relaxing!

"A-Are you okay, Chōko-chan?" Hinata asked me as she set her samisen on the floor.

I rolled onto my back and stared at the ceiling as I adjusted my glasses. "Never better, Hinata…please don't tell your mother I'm doing this."

"I-I won't…" Hinata giggled. "I never told you, b-but you look nice."

I turned my head to the side to look at Hinata. "Yeah, back at you…I'm really loving your kimono."

"Th-Thank you…" Hinata blushed. "U-Um…I like your kimono, too."

I blinked and looked at my kimono. It was mostly cream in color with a vibrant green obi. It was a rather nice-looking kimono, and the ribbon Naruto had given me matched the color of my obi, but I still preferred Hinata's kimono. It's just so pretty…okay, that's enough of that!

I sat up and stretched my arms. "Ugh, I'm tired…is my hair okay?"

Mama had tied up my braid into a bun. I do not want it to come undone, because then Himawari will ask why it had happened and considering my current position of informality…yeah.

"Your h-hair is fine," Hinata replied. "Y-You should probably sit right."

I made a face. "Bluh…fine."

Might as well, in case Himawari decides to pay a surprise visit…I'll do that right after I finish stretching my legs. Seriously, stretching feels good after sitting down for so long…

"Heehee, you're like a c-cat…" Hinata covered her mouth behind her hands as she giggled.

I stopped stretching and looked seriously at Hinata. When she noticed I was staring, she stopped giggling and started stuttering… Then I said, "Nya~!" and Hinata suddenly lost it. Who knew that all it took was a simple meow to get Hinata laughing so hard…ahaha, she's so cute.

Hinata has come a long way in the past three months since she befriended me and became part of a large circle of friends. She's become a bit more confident in herself and her little stutter was starting to diminish. It was still there, but, compared to how she had been previously, there was a noticeable improvement. However, whenever Hinata was nervous or scared, her stutter tended to return with a vengeance. For the most part, Hinata has been doing well…and I couldn't be any happier.

"Wh-What's going on?" Oh hey, Neji, when did you get here and—oh crap, Hinata's still laughing! "Hinata-sama!"

"N-Neji-nii-sama?!" Hinata immediately stopped laughing, her face now a brilliant shade of red as she stared at Neji, who was currently standing in the doorway, holding a tray of tea in his hands.

…

Oh right, Himawari said she was going to have Neji bring Hinata and I some tea…well, oops! I should have remembered that before making Hinata laugh, now Neji is giving Hinata the look that implies that an heiress like her shouldn't being doing such and such, because he's a jealous stick in the mud who holds disdain to anyone within the Main House. I know the situation and crap, but that still doesn't excuse Neji's treatment toward Hinata…and he wonders why Hinata has taken to messing with him as of lately.

Hinata was stuttering rather horribly. "Aaaah, N-N-Neji-nii-sama…h-have y-you greeted Ch-Chōko-chan yet?"

Looks like Hinata's using me as means of diverting Neji's gaze off of her. Welp, might as well help her out. "Hello, Neji-san!"

Neji has grown used to my presence within the last three months. That still doesn't mean he hasn't stopped being wary of me. He knows I'm capable of being spontaneous, so he always has his guard up around me. Sadly, that never seems to work whenever I omit the honorific in his name. It's almost as if he can't get over the fact that someone is saying his name without an honorific. I mean, shouldn't he be used to that due to the Academy? Not a lot of children are as polite as Hinata.

Then again, I do consider myself a special case because only I have been capable of flustering Neji, something that Hinata finds completely amusing. That may or may not be the reason Hinata has slowly started to grow comfortable around her cousin's presence. Not to say that Neji isn't still capable of making Hinata feel nervous, it's just that Hinata now has ways to cope through means of messing with her cousin. I find it hilarious.

Anyways, I was expecting to hear a strained greeting from Neji. Instead, all I got was a pair of white eyes that just stared at me. Neji's expression was completely blank and he said absolutely nothing. A minute passed and I looked at Hinata, who seemed just as confused as I was.

I think we broke Neji… "Oi, Neji! Look, I'm purposely omitting the –san—dammit, Neji, say something before I break the door!"

"Ch-Chōko-chan!" Hinata exclaimed.

"Okay, maybe breaking the door is a bit too drastic…" I mean, the last thing I need was a reason to talk with Hiashi, who will be wondering why his door was broken. I'm honestly surprised I haven't broken a door at the Hyuuga compound. I've already broken four doors at the Uchiha compound, which isn't really helping me with my goal to avoid being the next Potato Girl. "Hey, hey…Neji, did we break you? Hey!"

Bluh, it's really awkward omitting the honorific from Neji's name purposely…maybe that's why Neji isn't reacting. Well, might as well take the tray off his hands. I'm rather thirsty and cold tea is horrible.

…

It took me a few seconds to get off the floor and walk over to Neji. I looked at him for a moment and waved my hand in front of his face. No reaction…yeah, he was really out of it… "I'll take that!"

I then proceeded to take the tray of tea from Neji's hands. After making sure I wasn't going to drop the tray that I was now holding, I looked at Neji and decided to tell him something that had been on my mind recently. It's been bugging me and I'd rather say it now then blurt it out later.

"You're tall." There, I said it…I finally fucking said it. It took me this long to tell Neji something he probably knows and I didn't think it was possible for anyone to blush that hard.

"K-Kimono!" was the first word that came out of Neji's mouth.

I blinked a few times and looked at myself. "Yeah, I'm wearing a kimono. Thank you for telling me something I already know—oh, right, this is probably the first time you've seen me in a kimono, huh?"

It must be a real shocker to see the girl who wears the same clothes as her twin brother, wear a kimono. And yes, Chōji and I wear the same clothes…well, my clothes are of a smaller size than his are, but they're the same nonetheless. If it wasn't for the differences in our build, hair length, and the fact that I wear glasses, Chōji and I would look identical.

"D-Doesn't she look nice, Neji-nii-sama?" Hinata, what are you up to?

Neji struggled to find his voice at this point. He averted his gaze and, very quietly, said, "Yes…I need to leave."

"B-But don't you want to stay and have tea with us?" Hinata asked innocently.

Neji stiffened. "Hinata-sama…I apologize, but I must decline…"

Neji excused himself and promptly left the room.

…

"Pfft, ahahaha!" Oh my god, his reaction was priceless! "Did you see his face?!"

"I-I can't b-believe I did that!" Hinata laughed.

"You're so evil!" I love it! "Oh man, you need to do that more often!"

…

…

A few minutes have passed and we both eventually calmed down. By now, we were drinking tea…green tea, to be exact. I always did like myself some tea.

"So the summer festival's in a couple of days," I decided to bring up. "Are you excited?"

Hinata blinked and smiled. "Uh-huh…I'm a little worried for N-Naruto-kun, though… What if everyone is m-mean to him?"

"Then I'll break something." Vandalism isn't the way to go, but I have my limits as to how much I'll tolerate seeing my friend being mistreated. "I doubt they'll be mean to him if they see Naruto with us."

"Th-That is true…" Hinata nodded her head. "Heehee, I wonder if he is g-going to win against Sasuke-kun."

"They might end up tying, for all we know." I mean, it's certainly a possibility. "We'll see…"

"Wh-What kind of yukata will you be wearing?" Hinata decided to ask.

I thought about it for a moment. "Hmm…to tell or not to tell…I guess we'll just see on the day of the festival."

"That's f-fine…" A mischievous glint suddenly appeared in Hinata's eyes. "Do you th-think Neji-nii-sama will react the same way as he did today wh-when he sees you in a yukata?"

…

"I guess we'll find out." It's worth a shot.

"I-I'll make sure he sees you, then." Hinata covered her mouth behind her hands as she laughed.

…

…

The day of the summer festival was like any other day, except when Mikoto found out that Naruto didn't have a yukata, you can sure as hell bet that Mikoto took him, Sasuke, and Itachi yukata shopping. I do not envy Naruto. Yukata shopping is complete hell…at least it was for me. I mean, trying on so many yukata until Mama and I found the right one…yukata…yukata everywhere.

It's nothing like clothes shopping, where you can easily put on and take off clothes. Yukata have to be put on the right way, with the obi tied right. This is a process that has to be repeated when trying out yukata…it's just tedious.

Yukata shopping aside, it was a really good day. When Chōji and I met up with our friends in the evening, they were all wearing yukata. All the boys wore dark-colored yukata, so not much variety from them…except for Shino, who didn't wear a yukata. Meanwhile with Hinata and me, we got some actual color.

Hinata wore a white yukata with a colorful flower pattern and a red obi tied around her waist. I wore a green checkered-pattern yukata with a yellow obi. It was simple, nothing complex for a little kid like me. Of course, for Sasuke and Naruto, they just stared at me. Neji refused to even look in my direction, Shino said nothing, and Shikamaru actually seemed amused.

Naruto suddenly blurted out, "Holy crap, you're a girl!"

"A-Are you serious?" Tell me something I don't know for once!

Naruto sputtered. "I mean, I—I don't know!"

"You never dress like one, that's why!" Sasuke was quick to explain.

Shikamaru smirked. "They got you there, leader."

"Stop calling me that!" You are the _worst_ friend ever!

Hinata started giggling, Itachi poked Sasuke in the forehead, Neji still averted his gaze, and Chōji just patted me reassuringly on the back.

"You look nice," is what he told me.

"Thanks…" I sighed in exasperation. "Look, can we just get going?"

I really want to get some takoyaki…

…

Fifteen minutes later, I was standing next to Neji and Shino, watching Hinata as she played the goldfish scooping game. Itachi was close by, his gaze focused on Naruto and Sasuke as they tried to outdo each other in the ring toss game. Shikamaru and Chōji were waiting in line to get shaved ice. I already got my takoyaki, so I was feeling good…

"Anything yet?" I decided to ask Hinata.

"No…" Hinata turned to me and held out her completely broken poi for me to look at. "I l-lost…"

This was the fourth time Hinata had tried and she still wasn't able to scoop a goldfish. I frowned as I looked at Hinata, who looked very dejected. I don't like it when my friends our sad…okay, that's it! I managed to stuff a few takoyaki balls into my mouth before shoving the container into Shino's hands. I then walked over to Hinata and, after swallowing the takoyaki in my mouth and rolling up my sleeves, asked the stall keeper for a poi.

Once I got a poi, I took the bowl in Hinata's left hand and started playing the goldfish scooping game. All I had to do was use the poi to scoop a goldfish into the bowl… It sounds easy, right? Wrong! A poi is a paper scooper that can tear easily! The game requires care and speed because of that, so here I am, trying my first attempt!

Aaaand it ripped… "Another!"

I will keep on trying for Hinata!

…

…

After like twelve tries, I came to a sad realization…I fucking suck at this game! But I must persevere! I must be the Lambo! "Another!"

"Move over!" A curt voice said as someone pushed me aside.

"N-Neji?!" Holy shit, you're actually doing something?!

"That's Neji-_san_!" Neji said firmly before taking the bowl out of my hand and accepting the poi from the stall keeper. "Just stop talking."

Well, _someone_ is a little moody today. Pfft, I doubt he'll get it on the first try and—he totally got it on the first try. Son of a bitch, I wasn't expecting that…

"N-Neji-nii-sama!" Hinata exclaimed.

Neji said nothing as he handed the bowl over to the stall keeper. A few moments later, the stall keeper handed Neji a bag filled with water, the goldfish calmly swimming inside of the bag. The goldfish was white with a little red spot in between its eyes. He picked a nice goldfish for Hinata and—oh my god, he actually did it for _Hinata_!

"Aww, so you _do_ love your cousin!" I always knew Neji had a soft spot for Hinata! Aww, he's blushing!

"Here you go, Hinata-sama," Neji said as he handed Hinata the bag. His face reddened upon seeing the smile on Hinata's face.

"Th-Thank you, Neji-nii-sama!" Hinata was very happy.

Neji scowled and looked away from Hinata, his face still very much red. "You're welcome…"

"Ah, so Hyuuga-san is also capable of being cute." Aah, Itachi, I see you've noticed Neji's random act of kindness today.

Neji glared at Itachi, who just looked rather amused. Messing with Neji seems to be a past time that isn't only exclusive to Hinata and me.

"So, Itachi-san, who won the game?" I looked questioningly at the older Uchiha sibling.

Itachi turned his attention away from Neji and focused it on me. "Ah, neither did…it was a tie."

"I figured." Those two were really heated, so it was only natural to assume they would tie. Course, there was a chance they wouldn't tie…but I felt as if they would.

"What are they doing now?" Shino asked.

Itachi gestured at the stall across from all of us. "Katanuki…I think they've moved up to C-rank carvings."

"Augh, it broke-ttebayo!"

"You suck, dead-last!"

"Stop calling me that, dattebayo!"

Ah, the sound of a healthy rivalry is something I never thought I would be happy to hear. For the most part, Sasuke and Naruto are pretty good friends…but when they go at it, they get rather damn competitive.

…

…

Sometime later, we were all in the Hyuuga compound. Hinata had said that we could get a good view of the fireworks display from here, which is honestly a plus. The nine of us (holy shit, that's a lot) seated ourselves on the veranda of the Hyuuga compound. The sky was dark and Naruto seemed rather nervous, if only because we actually snuck him into the compound. Hinata said she would take responsibility if her father caught Naruto. Neji was actually stunned with Hinata's statement, but said nothing about it.

I'm honestly surprised we managed to sneak Naruto into the Hyuuga compound in the first place. Like, holy crap, how did we do it? I may never know…but I can't help but feel as if we've done something amazing.

I mean, today was a pretty amazing day overall. Naruto had a really good time today at the festival. People did start staring at him, but upon seeing whom Naruto was among, that being two Uchiha, two Hyuuga, two Akimichi, an Aburame, and a Nara…they immediately looked away. Aww yeah, connections are definitely awesome.

Neji was surprisingly nice to his cousin for once. And to commemorate his act of kindness was a goldfish that Hinata had named Shiro. Oh man, none of us is going to be forgetting that any time soon, thanks to Shiro.

Neither Sasuke nor Naruto won against each other, as they kept tying. They still had a fun time and were quite satisfied with what they've done. Itachi seemed to have been enjoying his brother's developing rivalry with Naruto.

Shino might have not said anything, but I know he had a good time. Shikamaru spent a quarter of the time mentioning my leader status (that I still refuse!) and Chōji just ate a lot…like me. We love to eat. Festival food _is_ good.

At that moment, a firework lit up the night sky, bursting into colorful sparks of light. We all stared at the colorful sparks lighting up the sky. It was a beautiful sight to behold. After a few seconds, another firework shot up and burst into a different color of sparks.

Summer vacation had only just begun, the thought suddenly popped up in my head. There was so much left for us to do before we returned to the Academy. I could only wonder what we going to do until then. Whatever it was, I'm definitely looking forward to it.

…

…

…

* * *

><p>AN In case anyone was wondering, seiza literally means "proper sitting" and is a term for one of the traditional formal ways of sitting in Japan. It's just a really formal way to sit. Seiza is also the traditional way of sitting while doing other arts such as calligraphy and ikebana. Chōko can sit in seiza…but she has problems doing so while she plays the koto. She has even _more_ problems doing such while wearing a kimono.

And just to clear things up, yes, Chōko wears the same clothes as Chōji. The only differences between them, apart from gender, is the fact that Chōko has a smaller build (result of her fast metabolism), has longer hair (that is in a braid), and wears glasses. Oh, and the ribbon Naruto gave her is green.

Hinata has also started developing a mischievous side to her character, with Neji becoming more expressive. Let's just say, because of Chōko and Hinata, Neji now has trouble controlling his emotions around them. Itachi finds this extremely amusing, much to Neji's annoyance because he already has to put up with two girls who like to mess with him.

Neji has also shown that, despite his treatment of Hinata, he does have a soft spot for her. It's small, but definitely there. Part of the reason that came to be about was because Hinata has started messing with him. The interactions that came from what Hinata has done harbored a bit of a bond.

Then there's Naruto and Sasuke, the two are usually friendly…but when they get competitive, then damn. It's a pretty healthy rivalry there. Sasuke is the way he is because he's still young. He still has his family, but he also has a lot of friends. His relationship with his brother is strong, and because of that, Itachi's been interacting with Sasuke's friends.

It's just something I'd point out, but that's about it. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, because I sure did! Also! The chapter is longer than the other ones I have written! At least I hope it is, but still! Potentially longer chapter! It's a small start, but it's a freaking start! I'm hoping this will continue for future chapters.

I also failed to mention I made it past ten chapters, which is the start of one milestone. The next one is getting this story over twenty chapters. _Façade_ has been, as of yet, the only story I've gotten past twenty chapters and then some! In fact, _Façade_ is one chapter away from hitting fifty…I am happy.

Welp, until next time, everyone! KD out! XD


	12. Smile

"_Kagome kagome,_

_The bird in the cage,_

_When, oh, when will it come out?_

_In the evening of the dawn,_

_The crane and turtle slipped._

_Who stands right behind you now?"_

If someone were to have told me I would one day be playing Kagome Kagome with a bunch of children, I wouldn't have believed them. Yet, here I am, playing just that with my circle of friends (ahaha, circle). Naruto was currently the oni in the center of the circle. He had his eyes covered and, upon hearing that we had stop singing, he started guessing whom it was that stood behind him.

"Umm…Neji-san?" he guessed.

…

Wow, Naruto actually guessed right. Neji certainly didn't looked too pleased. Of course, the only reason Neji was even playing in the first place was because Hinata somehow managed to convince him. It did help that Hinata also had Itachi to help. Itachi, by the way, is also playing.

After Neji and Naruto switched places, Neji covered his eyes while we started singing as we circled around him.

"_Kagome kagome,_

_The bird in the cage,_

_When, oh, when will it come out?_

_In the evening of the dawn,_

_The crane and turtle slipped._

_Who stands right behind you now?"_

The song's pretty creepy when you've gone into some of the theories of what its origin and meaning really is. If anything, it might have just usurped Ring Around the Rosie for most disturbing children's game. That may just be my opinion, though…

"Uchiha-san…?" Neji guessed.

"Which one?" Shikamaru asked. "There are two."

Neji scowled. "Itachi-san…"

"Ah, you finally said my name." Itachi nodded his head. "Does this mean I can call you Neji-san?"

Only Itachi would take this opportunity to move onto a first-name basis with Neji.

"Do whatever suits you." Neji scowled. "Was I correct?"

"Nope!" Sasuke exclaimed. "Wrong Uchiha, Neji-san! You're still the oni!"

Neji was not happy, but said nothing about it. We started singing again as we circled around Neji, the process being repeated a few times, each time Neji guessing the wrong person. Around the sixth time we circled around Neji, I started noticing something was off about him.

On the seventh time, I looked closely at Neji as we started to sing. I saw him twitch upon hearing us start. He must've not liked our singing… Come the tenth time, I was able to confirm that Neji was slowly growing distressed each time we sang as we circled around him. His voice was starting to grow a tad bit desperate each time he guessed. At first, I just thought Neji didn't want to play at all, that he hated our singing, but that was not the case…

Around the sixteenth time, Hinata cried out when she saw that Neji was actually crying. That was when all of us stopped holding hands and knelt down to Neji's level. Neji tried to look away from us, but Hinata refused to let her cousin hide.

"N-Neji-nii-sama…are you okay?" Hinata wanted to know.

Neji remained silent.

"Neji-nii-sama…" Hinata said in a firm tone. "Answer me."

Hinata startled all of us with her firm tone and lacking stutter. She meant business and even Neji knew that, and yet…he was having trouble answering his cousin. It took him a moment before he finally replied, "The bird in the cage…when, oh, when will it come out?"

"N-Neji-nii-sama…" Hinata frowned as she placed her hand on Neji's shoulder.

Neji twitched visibly. "D-Don't…touch…me…"

At that moment, Itachi pulled Hinata out of the way of Neji's palm strike, which would have struck Hinata in the chest. Did…Neji just try to…hurt Hinata? Oh _hell_ no…you have crossed a line, boy.

"What the hell, Neji?!" I yelled, about ready to lunge at the boy. Of course, Itachi decided he didn't like my somewhat offensive stance and grabbed me by the back of my jacket, pulling me as far as he could, away from Neji. "H-Hey!"

"Calm down, Chōko-san…" Itachi said coolly. "Violence will get us nowhere."

Dammit, why do you have to be right? "Tch, fine…"

As Neji was currently acting hostile to anyone who neared him, Itachi decided to take matters into his own hands. Itachi made all of us distance ourselves from Neji as he neared the Hyuuga as tentatively as he could. Neji was trying his hardest to stop crying, but couldn't.

When Itachi tried to approach Neji, Neji nearly struck him in the chest as well. Except, unlike with Hinata, Neji's Byakugan was activated and he had tried to use the Jūken on Itachi. Itachi was quick to dodge, but Neji kept attacking, to which Itachi kept evading.

Naruto, Sasuke, Hinata, Chōji, Shikamaru, Shino, and I spent the next few minutes watching the scene before us. Neji kept trying to land a hit on Itachi, but Itachi was just too fast. After a total of ten minutes had passed, Itachi formed a hand seal and said something so quickly, I couldn't make out what he said.

Within seconds, puffs of smoke gave way to three identical clones of Itachi. This caught Neji by surprise, leaving himself open for a brief moment. Itachi was quite quick to use the opening as a chance to have his clones apprehend Neji. They were shadow clones, as shown by the fact they were corporal. With Neji detained by shadow clones, the real Itachi walked up to the Hyuuga and knocked him out. Almost immediately, Itachi's clones dispersed.

Itachi caught Neji as he fell. With Neji no longer being a threat, Itachi turned to face us, his gaze falling upon Hinata, who seemed absolutely horrified with what she had to witness.

"You…you know something, don't you?" Itachi asked Hinata.

Hinata bit her lip. "…"

…

…

Several minutes later, under a big, shady tree, Hinata began telling us everything about the Hyuuga Main Family's Juinjutsu. About how the seal is branded on all Branch House members in the Hyuuga clan, which is what Neji was. And that the reason why Neji kept his forehead covered at all times was because of the seal.

"N-Neji-nii-sama was branded when I turned three…" Hinata explained.

"So he's had the seal since then?" Sasuke asked.

Hinata nodded her head. "Y-Yes…"

"Why do you need a mark to distinguish the Main and Branch families?" Naruto questioned. "What's the use of that?"

"I-It's not just for show…" Hinata looked down. "A M-Main House member can activate it using a hand seal to d-destroy the wearer's brain cells."

"Oh god…" I had nearly forgotten how horrible the Branch House had it. Sure, I have been holding it against Neji, but only because he didn't need to take it out on Hinata for it…

"The s-seal will only disappear after death, sealing up the ability of the Byakugan along with it," Hinata continued. "The Branch family is meant to protect the Main family…th-that's why Neji-nii-sama is always with me."

"So this seal…what does it look like?" Itachi asked.

"I don't kn-know…" Hinata replied. "When I asked N-Neji-nii-sama, he said…the c-curse of the mark is meant to represent 'a bird in the cage'…"

A bird in the cage…oh _shit_!

"The bird in the cage, when, oh, when will it come out?" Shikamaru suddenly brought up. "Neji-san must have not liked hearing that part of the song."

"I feel bad…" Chōji remarked. "He was playing with us, even though the song was bothering him…"

"I-It's my fault," Hinata stated. "I-I convinced him to p-play…"

"Do not blame yourself, Hinata-san," Shino tried to reassure Hinata. "How were you to know he would react in this manner?"

…

"You don't know, do you?" Shino had made a point.

Hinata shook her head. "N-No…but I do kn-know it's my fault Neji-nii-sama's father is dead."

Oh god, not this incident—wait, Hinata's blaming herself? No wonder she has self-esteem issues! "How would _that_ be **your** fault?!"

"If I d-didn't nearly get kidnapped, then my father w-wouldn't have killed the Head Ninja of Kumogakure!" Hinata was adamant about accepting the blame. "I-If that hadn't happen, then Hizashi-sama wouldn't have had to take my father's place when Kumogakure demanded my father's body! The only r-reason that even happened was because they were t-twins and Hizashi-sama was a member of the Branch family! So, e-essentially, it _is_ my fault."

Wow, I never thought Hinata would be one to talk this much when she's adamant about something…I think I learned something new about my soft-spoken friend. No, it's not just me, but also all of us… Is this what Hinata's been dealing with since the incident? Goddamn, I feel so bad for her…that's a lot for a four-year-old to be handling…

"Hinata…how long ago was this?" I need to make sure, before I say something I might regret.

"Almost two years ago…" Hinata answered. "Why?"

"Wouldn't that make you like three-years-old at the time?" Sasuke looked questioningly at Hinata. "Hey, hey…aren't you still four?"

"…" Hinata looked down and said nothing.

Hinata was pretty much the youngest out of all of us. Excluding Itachi and Neji, Shino was the oldest out of all of us.

"I'm still four!" Naruto exclaimed.

"We're not talking about you, dead-last!" Sasuke snapped.

"Stop calling me that-ttebayo!" Naruto scowled at Sasuke.

"Both of you, shut it!" You two can be bickering rivals some other time! Right now, Hinata needs some moral support because she is blaming herself for something she should not be at fault for. "Shikamaru, if you say anything, I will smack you."

I know he's still four years old as well, but I didn't want to hear it right now.

"I wasn't going to say anything." Shikamaru made a face. "How troublesome…"

"S-So what does being four have to do w-with anything?" Hinata was confused.

"I'm just saying…you're still pretty young," Sasuke replied. "Right, Nii-san?"

Itachi nodded. "That is correct."

"B-But…" Hinata began.

"Hinata-san, know your limits," Shino said firmly.

…

"Fine…" Hinata sighed in defeat. "Y-You win…"

"So…what are we going to do about Neji-san?" Chōji looked at Neji, who was currently passed out on the grass.

"He's gonna be a bit mad at us, isn't he?" Sasuke frowned.

"Correction: He's going to be mad at me, not you," Itachi remarked. "I was the one who knocked him out."

"P-Please don't tell anyone that Neji-nii-sama nearly attacked me!" Hinata was quick to say. "H-He'll get in trouble with my father…"

"Speaking of your father, you two need to have a talk with him," Shikamaru suggested. "If Neji-san's having issues like this, then he needs to speak it out with his father's twin brother."

Way to go, Shikamaru, doing something that actually displays your actual intelligence instead of slacking off.

"So I guess it's safe to say that, after this, we are no longer playing Kagome Kagome, correct?" I looked questioningly at everyone. "Well?"

"I never really liked the game, anyways." Shikamaru rubbed the back of his head. "It's too troublesome…"

"And hard!" Naruto added.

Sasuke nodded his head. "There are too many of us, that it makes the game difficult!"

"There is a limit to how challenging a game could be," Shino noted.

"We're better off playing ninja," Chōji commented. "It's more fun than Kagome Kagome."

"I-I feel the same way," Hinata agreed.

"You guys were the ones who suggested we play it…" I didn't even want to play it because I found the song creepy…thank you, Vocaloid and morbid theories about the song's origin. I will never see this game the same way ever again. "You know what, I'm not even gonna argue…so it's settled! We're never playing that game again!"

…

"You know, for someone who refuses to be leader, you actually make a pretty good one." Oh shut up, Itachi!

"You say that now, but just you wait!" I will fuck up badly one day and make everyone realize how bad of a leader I can be! You guys will regret _everything_!

…

…

About half an hour later, Neji woke up. He was a bit disoriented, but relatively fine overall. When Hinata tried talking to him, Neji looked away, possibly in shame. Frowning, Hinata decided to take a more active role and lunged at her cousin, wrapping her arms around his frame in a tight hug. This caught Neji completely by surprise. He stiffened, unable to comprehend what had just happened.

"I'm so sorry, N-Neji-nii-sama!" Hinata apologized frantically. "I-It's all my fault th-this happened!"

"Wh-What?" was all Neji could say. Before Neji could do anything else, Naruto latched onto him in the same manner Hinata had done. "G-Get off!"

"Neji-saaaan!" Naruto whined. "You don't have to hide it anymore!"

"I'm not…I'm not hiding anything!" Neji was slowly growing annoyed with the physical contact coming from his cousin and Naruto.

"Don't lie!" Sasuke exclaimed as he joined Naruto and Hinata as they continued to hug Neji.

Pretty soon after that, the rest of us started hugging Neji as well. What was initially supposed to have been a single hug turned into a group hug, one that Neji had no interest, whatsoever, in partaking…at all.

"There is no escape!" You are gonna be part of this group hug, whether you like it or not!

"Do you not wish to accept our platonic affections?" Shino asked. "Isn't it customary for friends to embrace one another when one is emotionally hurting?"

"F-Friends?!" Neji exclaimed. "Since…when…are you my friends?!"

"Now, now, Neji-san," Itachi said as he joined in on the group hug. "We are only concerned for the well-being of our friend."

"I-Itachi-san?!" Neji was baffled.

"Ah, you said my name again…" Itachi said in a slightly amused tone. "See? We have started referring to each other by our first names. Surely that is meant to signify something?"

"Y-You are doing this on purpose!" Neji yelled.

"Of course I am," Itachi admitted. "We are friends."

By now, Neji's anger was starting to fade as he began growing emotional. He tried to hide it at first, but after hearing Itachi's remark, he started bawling.

"I-Is he supposed to be doing that?" Chōji asked, sounding rather concerned.

"He's finally opening up instead of suppressing his emotions," Shikamaru pointed out. "I'm sure you've noticed."

"H-He does that…" Hinata said softly. "I-It's okay, Neji-nii-sama, we're here for you."

…

…

We all saw a different side of Neji today, one that I, and everyone else, could have never predicted. It still scared me that he nearly hurt Hinata. I have never been so glad to have Itachi around us. At the same time, I was actually concerned for Neji. I think it's safe to say that all of us were.

When Hinata and Neji left us, Hinata was holding onto Neji's hand. That was the first time I've actually seen them hold hands. That was the last any of us had seen of them this week because after that, Hinata and Neji stayed home.

I was worried at first…then Chōji mentioned my koto lessons with Himawari, to which Shikamaru suggested I use that chance to check up on Hinata and Neji. Naruto and Sasuke wished me good luck, Itachi did the same, and Shino told me to take care.

So as I made my way to the Hyuuga compound, my pace somewhat slower than usual due to the fact that I was wearing my kimono, I thought about what could have happened during the past few days Hinata and Neji hadn't come out to play with us. I wondered quite briefly if Hinata had followed through Shikamaru's suggestion regarding her and Neji talking with Hiashi. It would have explained their recent absence…

Though, when I approached the Hyuuga compound, Hinata was outside, waiting for me. She was also wearing her kimono, so that meant lessons with Himawari were still on. Upon seeing me, Hinata ran up to me as fast as she could in her kimono. She grabbed onto my hand and started pulling me towards the Hyuuga compound. When I tried asking her what was going on, she shushed me.

"J-Just follow me," was all she told me. "Y-You need to see this…"

I was confused at first as to what she wanted me to see…but then I saw it. Within a room, the training room most likely, Neji was sparring with Hiashi. The two had yet to notice our presence in the room, which is what Hinata had been going for. I honestly was surprised with the scene before us.

Like…holy shit. This feels like something that should happen in the future, not now…what the hell happened—oh crap. Didn't Shikamaru tell Hinata that she and Neji needed to talk with Hiashi? Then, with what had happened…did Hiashi tell Neji the truth? That seems highly plausible, considering that Hiashi and Neji were currently sparring with each other.

"Chōko-chan, l-let's go…" Hinata whispered to me.

I nodded my head and followed after Hinata as we left the room.

…

Himawari was waiting for us, somewhat impatiently. She scolded us lightly for being late, but then proceeded to tell us to take up our positions. I usually leave my koto at the Hyuuga compound so I don't have to lug it around with me everywhere. It's not that it's heavy…well, it is, but it's not a problem for me. It's just an inconvenience, just having to carry that thing around.

Lessons with Himawari proceeded as usual, with me having my sitting position corrected by Himawari every other moment or so. Seriously, how the hell am I going to get used to this? Ugh, I hate this freaking koto…

About an hour into the lesson, Himawari gave us a well-deserved break and left the room. As she left the room, I noticed something off about her. Hinata must have noticed that I was staring, because the next thing she said caught me by surprise.

"I'm g-going to be an older sister soon," was what she said.

I turned to Hinata. "Wh-What?"

Hinata smiled. "I've been m-meaning to tell you."

"So your mother…" Himawari is—no wonder she seemed a bit rounder around the stomach! I was quick to hug Hinata. "Congratulations, Hinata!"

Hinata blushed. "Th-Thank you…"

That meant Hanabi was going to be born in…March, if I'm correct. So Himawari is close to two months pregnant, then. Huh, I wonder how that is going to turn out…ahaha, Hinata is going to be an older sister. She certainly seems happy.

"Am I interrupting something?" Hello Neji, didn't see you there and—you seem oddly calmer. His expression certainly seemed softer…and it seems that Himawari put him on tea-bringing duty again.

"N-Neji-nii-sama!" Hinata exclaimed. "I was just telling Chōko-chan about how I'm g-going to be an older sister!"

Neji blinked and nodded. "Ah, I see…tea?"

"Th-That would be fine!" Hinata smiled. "Hey, Neji-nii-sama…w-would you like to stay and have tea with us?"

Neji stiffened again. I was expecting him to decline like last time, but instead, he actually said, "Only for a short while."

And that was how Neji sat with us as we drank tea. Himawari must have wanted Neji to stay with us, assuming from the fact that there were three cups instead of two on the tray. Neji still refused to look at me, which is nothing out the usual. The only difference was that, instead of staying quiet, Neji tried to join in our conversation. He was a bit awkward about it, but he was trying.

"It's nice to see you being more social!" I smiled at Neji. He really deserves a gold star for trying!

Neji looked away, probably not knowing how to react to my comment.

"Heehee…" Hinata giggled. "He's sh-shy!"

Oh man, if that isn't the most ironic thing I have ever seen and heard!

…

Since that day, Hinata and Neji returned to our circle of friends. Upon returning, Neji found himself being swarmed by Naruto and Sasuke. Itachi just patted Neji on the head when Neji tried to pull Naruto and Sasuke off of himself. Chōji offered some potato chips to Neji, which Neji politely declined. Shikamaru made it a point that, by even offering potato chips to him, Chōji had considered Neji a friend. This caused Neji to blush, his blush growing even worse, when Shino made it clear that we have missed him in his and Hinata's absence.

"Th-Thank you…" was all Neji managed to say.

Smiling, I walked over to Neji and smacked a gold star sticker over his forehead. Neji did not appreciate the act, but said nothing. I just laughed and held out the packet of gold star stickers I had bought the other day at a shop.

"I got these for you!" Really, I did. "Every time I think you deserve a sticker, I'll give it to you!"

"Did you have to put it on my forehead?" Neji looked sternly at me.

"I…don't know…" I wasn't really thinking. "S-Sorry…"

"It's fine," Neji huffed. "Uzumaki, Sasuke-san, get off!"

After Itachi decided he had seen enough of his little brother and Naruto messing with Neji, he pulled them off the Hyuuga. Neji gave out a quiet, "Thank you" before adjusting his clothes.

"Nice sticker," Itachi remarked. "How do you feel, Neji-san?"

Neji glared at Itachi, who just smirked at him.

…

After our reunion with Hinata and Neji, our summer days seemed to be more fun-filled than usual now that Neji was trying to be more social instead of reluctant. It was safe to say that he was an official member of our circle of friends. I tried passing on the title of leader onto him, but Neji refused, saying that he had changed his mind about me.

I…was not expecting that. None of us had been expecting that…except for, maybe, Itachi, based on how amused he had seemed. He reiterated an earlier statement he had once told me about being a good leader and I just told him to shut it. Despite my mixed feelings, I smacked another gold star on Neji's forehead. Neji didn't really appreciate it, but I felt like he deserved it—for trying to change.

…

As we were watching the clouds, with our backs laid against the grass, on one particularly cloudy afternoon, Naruto started talking to Neji.

"If you don't like the way the Hyuuga have treated you, then I'll change them," is what he told Neji. "I'll change the Hyuuga when I become Hokage!"

What was stunning about Naruto's statement was that was the first time he had ever mentioned to us about his dream of becoming Hokage. It's honestly strange, but…somehow not surprising. I was expecting to hear that from Naruto eventually…I just honestly didn't know when.

Itachi had honestly been rather supporting of Naruto, as had Sasuke. Shikamaru was a bit sarcastic, but otherwise, supporting as well.

"You're gonna need an advisor, though," Shikamaru remarked.

"Huh…you're right…" Naruto sat up and looked at Shikamaru. "That's why you'll be my advisor!"

Shikamaru sighed. "How troublesome…"

"But you didn't deny it!" Chōji grinned widely.

"I feel left out…" Shino suddenly said.

"Well, what do you want to be?" I decided to ask Shino.

"I want to discover and tame new species of insects," Shino replied.

"G-Good luck with that," Hinata said. "And good luck with you, too, N-Naruto-kun."

"Summer vacation is almost over…" Sasuke suddenly said. "What do you think we'll be learning when we get back?"

"Possibly about hand seals," Itachi suggested. "You learned those first before you start working on any ninjutsu and genjutsu."

"Hey, hey, speaking of ninjutsu…what was that technique you used on Neji-san?" Naruto asked Itachi.

"Kage Bunshin no Justu," Itachi replied.

"Hey, hey…can you teach me how to use it-ttebayo?" Naruto looked expectantly at Itachi. "Eh, eh, yes or no?"

Itachi chuckled. "I'll teach you when you're older."

"No fair, Nii-san!" Sasuke whined. "You gotta teach me too."

"You need to work on your Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu first before anything." It is nice seeing Itachi acting like the older brother he is. "Can you promise me that?"

Sasuke sat up and glared at Itachi briefly before sighing. "Fine…"

"Hey, Neji-san…what do you think?" I haven't heard Neji say anything in a bit.

…

"Neji-san?" I sat up to get a good look at Neji…he was asleep. "Ah, he's asleep."

"He m-must've been tired…Neji-nii-sama and my father have been t-training together as of lately," Hinata remarked.

"Hey, he's smiling, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed.

…

…

Summer soon came to an end and we returned back at the Academy. Classes resumed, as did kunoichi classes. The moment of truth involving our musical instruments came and…everyone passed. Suzume-sensei was quite glad and continued the next lesson, which was singing.

This was when things started taking an ugly turn as, when singing lessons first began, it was revealed that one of Ami's friends, Fuki, had hearing difficulties. Fuki had been hiding it for quite some time, but her secret came out when Suzume-sensei had tried getting her to sing. Fuki's singing was quite off-key and, when she tried to talk, she had a bit of a speech impediment as she paused between words. It had taken me until then to realize that Fuki rarely ever spoke and the reason being was because of that.

Some of the girls in class had started making fun of Fuki for it, having decided to take their attention off of me for once. While I'm glad some girls have decided to stop picking on me, I wasn't exactly happy with _whom_ they decided to pick on next. Even if Fuki did pick on me, as Kasumi and Ami did, I did not want her to go through the same thing as me. It was just mean for her, because the girls were picking on her because of her hearing difficulties and speech impediment.

It went on for nearly a week until Ami finally had enough. Ami got into a fight with a girl name Sayuri, who had decided it would be okay to openly insult Fuki, just because "she wouldn't be able to hear" her. I saw a different side of Ami that day…and since then, Ami and her friends have stopped picking on others. Ami, from time to time, does act up, but not in the way she used to.

Kunoichi classes aside, Itachi had been right about hand seals. That was what we were learning and we would keep learning about them until we had them completely memorized. Hoo boy, I had issues with this at first. I wanted to go to Itachi for help, but Neji got to me instead. Apparently, Hinata had told him to help me with my hand seals because I was having trouble. I was honestly surprised that Neji had even followed through with what Hinata had said because he was still rather wary of me. I counted this as Neji wanting to change, so after he had finished helping me, I slapped another gold star sticker onto his forehead…for being a good friend. Neji still wasn't amused.

Shikamaru's birthday came and went by. Nothing significant happened there, as we treated it as a usual day at the Nara compound. Then, by the end of the month, during one particular lunch break, I got tackled by a boy with messy brown hair and red markings on his cheeks.

"Hey, hey, you're leader, right?" he asked me.

I blinked a few times and scowled before kicking the boy off of me. "I am not!"

The boy landed back a few feet away from me. I took this time to adjust my glasses and clothes…before getting tackled again by the boy. Around this time, Sasuke and Naruto decided to stop watching and pulled the boy off of me. I glared at the boy as he smiled sheepishly at me.

"The hell was that for?!" Not cool, dude, not cool—I was eating!

"Let me into your group!" the boy demanded. "My name is Inuzuka Kiba!"

I blinked again and looked at Chōji, Shikamaru, and Hinata. They all shrugged, saying that it was up to me whether or not I should let Kiba into the group…the traitors! I seriously wasn't expecting Kiba, of all people, to want to join our group…yet, by the end of the day, Kiba joined our circle of friends.

One thing about Kiba that makes him different from everyone else is that he does want to be leader…except he's not accepting the position right away when I suggested it to him. No, he's fighting for dominance over it, so unless I lost against him, I would stay as leader. I, for one, don't like losing easily and with the way Kiba keeps initiating a fight, I'd rather not lose…or prolong the fight, as I do not want to accidentally hurt Kiba with my strength.

…

I'm never going to get rid of this title, am I?

…

…

With Kiba having joined our circle of friends, you can bet that whatever sense of quietness and tranquility went out the window as Kiba introduced a sense of energy that wasn't there previously. If Kiba and I weren't fighting, then he and Naruto were, because it turned out, they had the same dream of becoming Hokage. Sasuke wasn't exactly happy with this because he felt that Naruto was _his_ rival and it was just hilarious. Itachi certainly found it amusing.

Then Kiba found out about the stickers I gave Neji and wanted one as well, so I had to go buy another set of stickers for him. So while Neji got gold stars, Kiba got paw prints. Kiba was quite pleased with his stickers and actually started doing little things to get them, that being, "Don't fight with Chōko while she's eating." I am quite happy he's doing that a lot.

During a visit to the Inuzuka compound, in which Kiba wanted us to meet his mother and older sister, we found out that Naruto's birthday was coming up. Naruto said he wanted to take us somewhere on his birthday, that we had to be ready for it.

When Chōji and I got home that day, I was quick to run up to Mama and suggest an idea I had involving Naruto's birthday. Father was told about this and he was quick to send the message to the rest of the Four Noble Clans, and the Nara clan. I have no idea what they were planning, but they told Chōji and I to keep Naruto busy on the day of his birthday until the evening, which was when we were supposed to bring him to the Akimichi compound.

As Naruto was already taking us somewhere that day, keeping him busy until the evening wasn't going to be a problem. It was a school day (a non-kunoichi class day at that) as well, so really, it wouldn't be too difficult keeping Naruto busy.

…

On the day of his fifth birthday, Naruto, with help from both Neji and Itachi, managed to sneak all of us into the Hokage's office. Sarutobi Hiruzen, the Sandaime, had been doing paperwork when we had entered the room. Sarutobi arched his eyebrow at the sudden increase of people in his office.

"Hey, hey, Jiji!" Naruto called out to Sarutobi. "Look at how many friends I've made!"

Sarutobi looked over each and every one of us, looking rather impressed with the friends Naruto has made. He must have noticed that there were two Uchiha, two Hyuuga, two Akimichi, an Aburame, a Nara, and an Inuzuka in the room, based on how stunned he looked at the moment.

"You've sure made a lot of friends, Naruto," Sarutobi remarked. "Oh, and how has your birthday been?"

"It's been fine…hey, are you gonna take us out to Ichiraku Ramen?" Naruto looked expectantly at Sarutobi. "Like you usually do on my birthday?"

A strained expression crossed Sarutobi's face. "I'm sorry, Naruto…I'm very busy today."

Naruto looked absolutely crestfallen. "Jiji…"

"You know what, I guess I can put aside all this work for you and your friends." Sarutobi smiled at Naruto. He stood up from his seat and walked out from behind his desk. "Let's get going, shall we?"

…

I'm pretty sure Teuchi and Ayame were expecting to see that the Sandaime visit Ichiraku Ramen today, based on the fact that it was Naruto's birthday. As it was Naruto's birthday, Teuchi gave all of us discounts and a free extra-large bowl of miso ramen with roasted pork fillet for Naruto. Naruto was quite happy today. Of course, there was still much more for him to see when we take him to the Akimichi compound later.

…

Sometime later, in the evening, after the Sandaime had gone his separate way, Chōji and I led everyone to the Akimichi compound. Naruto had no idea what was going on as we rarely ever went to the Akimichi compound this late. He had tried asking us if anything was wrong, but his question went unanswered. Upon bringing everyone to a dark room in the Akimichi compound, Naruto asked us again if anything was wrong. At that moment, the lights flickered on and Naruto received the biggest surprise in his life.

"Happy birthday!" Chōji and I yelled simultaneously.

Naruto stared wide-eyed at the amount of people in the room. Aside from my family, Himawari and Hiashi were there, as was Shino's father, Shibi. Mikoto and Fugaku were predictably present, with Mikoto smiling warmly at Naruto. Shikaku and Yoshino were also there, as was Iruka-sensei, himself.

"Wh-What?" Naruto was practically speechless.

"It was Chōko's idea," Chōji was quick to out me, even though I wanted to stay anonymous. "Kaa-chan and Tou-chan called everyone else…"

"I-I told Iruka-sensei since he and you are close…" Hinata admitted.

"Wh-Why is everyone here?" Naruto was still having a hard time processing what he was seeing.

Mikoto had answered Naruto's question. "Because we didn't wish for you to be alone today."

"Alone…" Naruto repeated. "I'm not alone…"

"That is correct," Shino remarked.

"I haven't known you for long, but I do consider you a friend," Kiba confessed to Naruto. "I'll be sure to invite you and everyone else over for my birthday…what do you say?"

"Ah…aaaahhh…" Naruto's eyes began to glisten with unshed tears. "I'm not alone…"

Upon saying that, Naruto started crying. Unlike the last time, during the day Chōji and I turned five…Naruto's tears were of happiness, not sorrow. He was just so happy that people would even do something like this for him.

Iruka-sensei smiled and walked over to Naruto to give him a friendly hair ruffle. "You should be happy…to have so many friends."

"I am-ttebayo…" Naruto sobbed. "Th-Thank you so much, dattebayo…"

Later into the evening, the Sandaime paid the Akimichi compound a visit, because he had finished his work. Iruka-sensei had told Sandaime about a birthday gathering for Naruto at the Akimichi compound. This managed to make Naruto cry for a second time today.

…

The month went by as usual after that. Naruto was much more energetic after that day. He was smiling much more often, as if that was even possible. He still had difficulties every once in a while, like his classmates picking on him, even though he was average as can be in class. Even though Sasuke called him dead-last, Naruto really only tolerated the name if it came from Sasuke.

Kunoichi classes switched from singing to proper etiquette. I did somewhat horribly because I sounded a bit too boyish for Suzume-sensei's tastes. This is what happens when I grow up with someone as Chōji as a twin brother. I picked up his speech patterns…and because of that, Suzume-sensei kept telling me to sound a little more feminine. And it was thanks to that class that I now have two ways of speaking. There is my usual speaking manner, and then there's my more feminine, polite manner. It's…weird.

Regular classes were still focused on academics, as usual. We were still focusing on hand seals and gym class started turning a bit more strenuous now that we have mostly adjusted to it. Nothing much else happened after that. This continued onto the next month.

At least kunoichi classes had some variety… Of course, we started learning about cultures, which was going to last through this month, all the way up until we were released for winter vacation (so close, yet so far…). We were going to be quizzed on that when we returned from the break. I already went up to Hinata for help upon hearing about that.

Come Hinata's fifth birthday, it appeared that the Hyuuga had finally accepted Naruto, from the fact that he was allowed into the Hyuuga compound. When Hinata had also given Naruto an invitation, we were all surprised. Hinata was quite happy to explain that her father had told her that Naruto was allowed to come.

It would be Naruto's first time visiting the compound officially, as he had already visited once before during the summer festival when we had all snuck him in. Naruto had been extremely excited. I was just happy that Naruto was allowed to even come over the Hyuuga compound, just for Hinata's birthday.

A lot has happened since I first befriended Naruto. From one friend to nine friends, to being accepted by the Akimichi clan, to the rest of the Four Noble Clans of Konohagakure…it has been one hell of a year for Naruto. Aside from Naruto, Hinata and Neji have also experience some sort of change. Neji was no longer distancing himself from everyone and his fatalism had disappeared. He and Hinata have also been growing closer.

Neji still has some issues, but he was slowly adjusting to the recent changes in his life. I could've sworn I've seen him smiled at least once. I still annoyed him every once in a while by smacking a sticker on his forehead. He still didn't appreciate it, but he never said anything about it.

Itachi was someone I should be wary of, and yet…we were all very close to him. We have accepted him as the big brother of our circle of friends. He definitely acted like the type, helping us out if we had any trouble. I had a feeling he and Neji had a sort of rivalry going on between them, but Itachi was rather passive about it.

Considering all the changes that have happened, I wonder if there is anything I should be worried about. There is still the Uchiha Clan Massacre, an event that has yet to occur. I should be afraid because two years isn't a lot of time…yet, I'm honestly calm. Maybe it's the fact that the Four Noble Clans have forged a bond over the year. I have been wondering if that could have changed anything. It's difficult to tell right now, as this is a change that would only become evident over a gradual period of time.

Again, I'm not too worried. I guess, what happens, happens… I don't think I mind, with all the smiles I have seen coming from Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke, and the rest of my friends.

…

…

…

* * *

><p>AN OMG I FINALLY DID IT! A LONG chapter! I have been waiting for this so long, you have no idea… So yeah, a lot of things happened. Neji is no longer the stick in the mud he used to be, having finally reached a breaking point due to children's game. Let me tell you about Kagome Kagome…if you look into some of the theories regarding it's origin and meaning, it's pretty damn disturbing. If you wish to know about it, I suggest you look up on Wikipedia. I have also made a reference to the Vocaloid song, _Circle You, Circle You_, which is effing creepy and has forever ruined the game Kagome Kagome for me…and if that wasn't enough, then it was the theories involving the game's meaning. Just ugh…but yeah, one thing I remember about Neji is that he compared himself to the caged bird and just…it stuck on.

When you have a bird lover, like me, hear anything bird-related, it sticks. Just to clear everything up, when I decided to implement Kagome Kagome as a game for the group, I had nearly forgotten about the "caged bird" thing going on with Neji… That was until I checked the lyrics again for Kagome Kagome. I realized that this song was going to affect Neji in some way and this is what had happened. Yeah…I feel bad, because the song contained a set of lyrics that triggered Neji. The poor kid…

Though, it did allow for Neji to have some development of sorts. Hinata opened up and revealed that she had blamed herself for the incident that ended with Hizashi's death and started Neji's fatalism and disdain for the Main House. As Shikamaru had suggested they talk to Hiashi about Neji's issues, they had gone through with it and…the result was Neji having been told the truth at a much earlier age than usual. Neji still has some issues, but they're mostly about how to act now that he's known the truth. He now has to deal with Chōko smacking a gold star sticker on his forehead.

Itachi has become the designated Big Bro of the group, as he is close to not only Sasuke, but also the rest of his friends. He and Neji are now officially part of the circle of friends, as is Kiba, who is honestly an interesting addition. I'm honestly surprised I haven't snuck in a _Princess Mononoke_ reference… Of course, it might end up coming up soon, knowing my love for Studio Ghibli movies.

And if you're wondering about Chōko sounding boyish…it involves Japanese pronouns. Chōko refers to herself as "boku", which is what Chōji refers to himself as. "Boku" is a masculine pronoun that can be used by both males and females… If a female uses it, it's usually to sound tomboyish. In this case, Chōko uses it because she picked it up from Chōji. And because of that, Suzume, the kunoichi teacher, keeps telling Chōko to sound more feminine for the sake of the lesson to sound like a polite girl. In that case, Chōko uses "watashi", a standard, polite word for "I", usable by both men and women in formal situations. In the case of children, _watashi_ is often used by girls, but never by boys, who use _boku_. I hope that clears up everything.

Shout out to **kpopisawesome** for being reviewer #20! I've noticed this fic has reached over 74 favorites and 113 follows…ahaha, 13, there it is again! XD It just keeps happening! Anyways, thank you all so much for reading this fic, especially if you guys take the time to review! It really means a lot!

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter because a lot really did happen. I'm honestly surprise I've made it this far in such a short time. I'm hoping to continue making progress. If I've made any mistakes, please don't hesitate to tell me! So until next time, everyone! KD out! XD


	13. Shisui

The New Year started off to a great start. Chōji and I spent it at the Akimichi compound, while everyone else did the same at their respective homes, which the exception of Naruto, who was invited over to the Uchiha compound. Overall, a very good start, I would say.

Winter vacation had been brief and, almost immediately, we were back at the Academy. Classes were still boring as ever, and kunoichi classes…don't even get me started. Everyone passed the cultural exam, however…right after that, Suzume-sensei introduced us to dancing.

Traditional dancing, to be exact, which means a kimono is needed for the occasion…and a fan. And this wasn't just going to last a month, no…Suzume-sensei says we need much more time for that. How much time? Try until the end of the school year, so that means I have to deal with this shit until the end of March. Even worse, since Himawari is currently out of commission due to being pregnant with Hanabi, Mikoto volunteered to help Hinata and me out with dance lessons. At the time, I didn't think much about the offer because I knew I was going to need help.

Then it came to my attention that the boys were watching as Hinata and I practiced with Mikoto. No big deal, I should get used to people watching me because I might actually need to do this eventually as a kunoichi. Except I underestimated who my exact audience was…and when I tripped on one of my kimono's long sleeves and landed face-first onto the floor, I should have expected to hear Naruto, Sasuke, Chōji, Shikamaru, and Kiba laughing.

Itachi and Neji were at least kind enough to stay silent, as was Shino. And Hinata had been quick to help me off the floor, frantically asking me if I was hurt. I had no idea where my glasses were, as they flew off when I tripped. My nose wasn't bleeding, so I should consider myself lucky. And my kimono was still in one piece, so I guess I was fine. I wasn't hurt, but it certainly felt as if I had been, in regards to my pride.

Ah, humiliation, how long has it been since we last met? Oh, what's this? Are you messing with my emotions? I believe I do feel my eyes beginning to burn and my face beginning to heat up. Well, so much for trying to act cool…pfft, as if I could ever act cool.

Uugh, and I was doing so well… I tried to hide my misty eyes from Mikoto, but I knew better than to hide anything from her. Mikoto saw that I was upset and patted me on the head before turning to her attention to Naruto, Sasuke, Chōji, Shikamaru, and Kiba. She scolded them for making me cry, telling them they should apologize to me. And they did…it was as awkward as it sounded.

Afterwards, Mikoto decided that Hinata and I needed a break, so she left the room after excusing herself. With their mother having left, Itachi poked Sasuke in the forehead. Sasuke complained and Naruto was about ready to laugh at Sasuke when Itachi decided to poke Naruto in the forehead as well. It was safe to say that Naruto wasn't laughing after that…but I was.

I was definitely feeling better after that…though I can't say the same for my vision, what with my lacking glasses and—hello, who is touching my hand?

"H-Here, Chōko-san…" Oh, hey, Neji—are those my glasses I feel? Oh my god, they are! "I found them on the floor…"

"Thank you!" I exclaimed as I put my glasses on. "You sure saved me a lot of time and trouble!"

You have no idea how much of a _bitch_ it is to search for your own glasses…especially if you're farsighted, like me…

"It's nothing…" Now, now, Neji, don't be so modest! "Ack!"

I smacked another gold star sticker onto Neji's forehead. Neji scowled at me as I pulled out the packet of stickers I had in my tamoto. Just because I'm wearing my kimono doesn't mean I don't have any stickers on me to give to Neji or Kiba when they deserve it. Speaking of Kiba, he's not getting any stickers today…

So tripping on my kimono sleeves was something I was going to have to deal with. There was also trying to avoid embarrassing myself in front of my friends. That was another thing…oh, and then there's _this_ asshole in the form Uchiha Shisui.

"Give me back my glasses!" God dammit, why do you have to be so fucking tall?! Damn thirteen-year-olds, and your growth spurts!

Since Hinata and I had started practicing dancing with Mikoto, Shisui decided to start dropping by. I barely know anything about Shisui and I have only really seen him a couple of times. He usually walked away whenever he saw Itachi was with us. Itachi had never told us why and when I had asked, Shisui decided to answer my question…but not before stealing my glasses and putting them on.

"Itachi usually keeps to himself, so when I saw him around _all_ of you…I saw an opportunity." Shisui started grinning. "And boy, was it a big one! He's made so many friends—hey, hey, I hear you're leader of this group, am I right?"

"I am not!" I still refuse! "And give me back my glasses! I _need_ those for seeing things up close!"

Right now, everyone close to me seems blurry—and is that a spider on the wall over there?! Holy hell, it's _huge_! Oh god, I am _not_ practicing dancing with that spider in the room!

"You seemed to have calmed down so suddenly," Shisui remarked.

I blinked and shook my head. I hate it when I get distracted like that…but seriously, that spider is _really_ bothering me. "U-Um…there's a spider on the wall…"

"Oh, is there?" Shisui said before putting my glasses back on me. "I'll take care of it."

And while Shisui walked off to go handle the current spider problem in the room, I took the moment to adjust my glasses and look at Itachi, who was currently wearing a rather blank expression on his face.

"He's not going to leave us alone, is he?" I found myself asking Itachi.

Itachi sighed. "No…"

"Is Shisui going to be joining us?" Sasuke looked questioningly at Itachi. "Is he?"

Itachi looked away from Sasuke, as if he didn't know what to say.

"Aww, are you trying to get rid of me?" Shisui, don't you ever fucking sneak up on me like that again. "Did I scare you—oh my god, I _did_!"

"Shut up!" I snapped, my body slowly relaxing from the tense state Shisui had put it through. "Wait…what did you do with the spider?"

Shisui tilted his head to the side. "Spider…oh, you mean this!"

There are a lot of things I never want to see being held in front of my face… This spider, for instance, is one of them. I have no idea how Shisui can even hold that fucking abomination without flinching whatsoever and—_oh god_, it **moved**!

"Aaah-aahhhh-aaaaaahhhh!" Get it away, get it away, get it away—don't let it touch me! "Kill it! Kill it with fire!"

I don't freaking care how helpful spiders are! I want that thing out of my face—Shisui, don't you fucking _touch_ me with that **thing**!

"Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" An extremely weak flame suddenly set the spider in Shisui's hand on fire, to which Shisui immediately dropped spider onto the floor, where he then stepped on it. "Did it work?"

All attention was now on Sasuke, who was the one who had use the Goukakyuu (an extremely weaker version of it) on the spider in Shisui's hand. Itachi stared wide-eyed at his little brother and Shisui had a similar expression. Meanwhile with the rest of us, that being Chōji, Shikamaru, Naruto, Kiba, Neji, Shino, Hinata, and I, we were just staring. I was honestly relieved the spider was dead, but I was also surprised with what Sasuke had just done.

"H-How did you do that, dattebayo?!" Naruto was the first out of any of us to speak.

Sasuke blinked. "I've been practicing with Nii-san…why?"

"G-Good job, Sasuke." Itachi was definitely impressed.

"M-Mikoto-saaaan!" Shisui suddenly exclaimed before running out of the room. "You'll never guess what Sasuke just did!"

And that was the tale of how Sasuke accomplished his clan's rite of passage. Be it, he still needed to work on his Goukakyuu, but the fact he was able to have gone from a puff of smoke to a weak flame was extremely noteworthy.

After that day, Shisui refused to leave us alone. He certainly made dance practice with Mikoto embarrassing, loudly applauding Hinata and I whenever we did something right. I still don't know much about Shisui, but from what I'm learning about him through the way he acted around us, all I can say…is that he is a dork. The dorkiest dork to ever dork…that is what Shisui is.

I'd certainly find Shisui's antics endearing to some degree…if I wasn't amongst those he adored to tease. Those whom Shisui loved to tease included, but was not limited to, Itachi (to a certain extent), Sasuke, Kiba, Shikamaru, Shino, Neji, and me…

Naruto got along _greatly_ with Shisui, like you wouldn't believe. Seriously, they got along like brothers (the non-bickering type). As for Hinata, Shisui had a soft spot for her, usually ruffling her hair at most before leaving her alone…the lucky girl. Shisui had tried teasing Chōji, but after he had shared some of his potato chips with the Uchiha, Shisui had decided that Chōji was too cool for him to tease. Chōji, you really suck, you know that?

Itachi was at least relieved that he wasn't the only one suffering at the hands of Uchiha Shisui. He was certainly trying to hide a smirk when Shisui made a huge deal out of the gold star sticker I had smacked onto Neji's forehead.

Shisui and traditional dance lessons aside, the month went on as usual. Shino's sixth birthday marked the first time any of us have ever visited the Aburame compound. It was very…_green_. There was an abundance of greenery, with many types of flowers adding splashes of color throughout the compound. It was a nice environment, overall…and perfect for insects to thrive, according to Shino. Naruto certainly seemed intrigued with his surroundings.

As it had happened with the rest of us, Shino's birthday was also turned into a gathering for the Four Noble Clans. Unlike the other times, Shisui joined us while the adults were in the other room. He went on about how boring it had been to even stay with them.

"They go on and on about things, like, how is so and so doing," Shisui rambled on. "I hear your names mentioned in the conversations, like a certain glasses-wearing door-breaker—"

"Oh go to hell!" I'll have you know I haven't broken a door within a month! "And my name is Chōko!"

"Chō-chan!" Shisui corrected. "And she's Hina-chan."

Hinata blushed upon realizing that Shisui was referring to her. "Aah…"

"Anyone else you'd like to give a nickname?" I looked questioningly at Shisui.

Shisui thought for a moment…and then shook his head. "No, just you two girls…"

Two girls…wait a second… I took a good look around the room and came to a realization…Hinata and me are the only girls in our circle of friends. How the fuck did I not realize that until now?! Wow, I am so slow…

Shisui continued rambling on about boring clan meetings. It was during this we found out that, it was because of the incident that had occurred during the first gathering that had caused the Uchiha and Hyuuga to change their minds about Naruto. Interesting…it seems the power of crying children is something that is not to be underestimated. Still, it did explain a lot and I'm actually rather glad I brought Naruto over…if only because of the outcome.

After Shino's birthday, Naruto had taken an interest in gardening…most likely as a result from seeing all the greenery in the Aburame compound. Wasn't one of Naruto's hobbies watering plants…? Eh…well, it seems that things are evening out in some ways.

It certainly seems that way, as Naruto hasn't been pulling any pranks due to all the attention he has been receiving from us, his friends, and from the Uchiha clan. Naruto's pranking was a result of him wanting attention, which he now received among us. So without an incentive for attention, Naruto shouldn't have taken up an interest in pranking, right?

_Wrong_…it's thanks to Shisui that Naruto took up an interest in pranking. Shisui was a bit of a jokester, and the influence he had on Naruto was enough to have sparked a huge interest for pranking in the blond. And when Iruka-sensei entered the classroom one day and had an eraser fall on top of his head, Naruto was laughing the hardest out of the entire room.

…

The final months of the school year consisted of chakra training. This was the big event for many students, whether or not they were able to continue onto the next year or transfer to a civilian school. Thinking about it now, the entire school year had been a process of weeding out students who weren't cut out for the shinobi life, with chakra training being the moment of truth.

Chōji and I missed out school every few days or so, due to the fact that, aside from molding chakra, Chōza was also teaching us how to convert calories into chakra. If there's one thing I know about calories, it's that the calorie can refer to a unit of heat. In physics, heat is energy in transfer, other than by work or transfer of matter. As chakra is energy as well, converting calories into chakra basically means manipulating one energy into another. Learning how to do that is essentially the goal.

Accomplishing it, is a different story…it's pretty damn difficult. Father says a sign that we are successfully converting calories into chakra is a rise in temperature. I certainly don't feel any hotter…Chōji is at least showing progress.

Later into the first month that Chōji and I had begun training, I started to improve. Come the next month, Chōji and I have started successfully converting calories into chakra. By then, we were already molding chakra. Molding chakra was much easier, if a bit physically draining. I usually got distracted as I was molding my chakra because of how pretty the color appeared to me…it also didn't help that the warm and soft sensation was oddly addicting. I'm honestly a danger to myself…

Chōji and I weren't the only ones who missed out on school, as Naruto had also been missing, due to a request from the Sandaime, or "Jiji", as Naruto called him. I'm guessing Sarutobi was teaching Naruto how to mold chakra, as Naruto is…_unique_, for a lack of better terms.

…

During the final week of classes, we were tested on our ability to mold chakra, which a small number of our classmates were unable to do. Everyone else was able to mold chakra, so we were going to be advancing onto the next year, which began to start of _actual_ shinobi training. That would include ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu.

Kunoichi classes tested us on our dancing abilities. A good chunk of the class failed the test, while Hinata and I passed with flying colors, as did Ino and Sakura. Ami, Fuki, and Kasumi also passed, with Fuki getting honorable mention. As we had passed the test, we were told that during the second year, we would be putting more focus into honing what we had learned during our first year, that included traditional dancing as well. The girls who didn't pass were told they would be taking remedial lessons upon returning for the second year. They were not allowed to advance until they had passed the retest.

Once the week had ended, we were let out of the Academy for spring vacation. It was around that time that Hinata had become the proud older sister to Hyuuga Hanabi. Of course, Hanabi's birth came at a price. Himawari had died shortly after Hanabi had been born. It…wasn't a good time for anyone.

Had it not been for Shisui and Itachi, I doubt we would have ever been able to move on before classes resumed at the Academy. Still, it hurt to see how empty the Hyuuga compound seemed without Himawari's presence. We're still coping…

Hanabi was at least a very healthy baby, and quite honestly, the cutest baby I had ever seen…like, really. Unlike Hinata, Hanabi took after her father, Hiashi, as I can already tell from the black hair Hanabi possessed. It's still rather sad that Hanabi won't ever have a chance to know Himawari the way we had.

Upon returning to the Academy for our second year, we had started learning about ninjutsu and genjutsu—the basics. Come gym class, taijutsu lessons began and, soon after that, sparring.

Back in my previous life, I actually took up martial arts, or more specifically, Tae Kwon Do. I was a blue belt…I was supposed to have been a brown belt, but college became a thing and the cost of classes became an issue, so I stopped attending. If there was one thing that impressed the instructor, it was how fast I had progressed from white belt all the way to blue belt within the span of two years. I was really determined to make it to black belt…guess that'll never happen now.

Instead of moping about the past, I decided to focus more on the present. I took taijutsu seriously, as I had done Tae Kwon Do. The only difference between now and the past, was that I don't have to deal with immature children who think it's funny to disrupt class—oh wait. I forgot who my friends _are_. Never mind!

That aside, I did worry quite a lot about my physical strength. I didn't want to hurt anybody…but after my current sparring partner decided it would be funny to take my glasses and throw them across the field, I couldn't care less at the moment and ended up breaking the poor kid's nose… Had I done this in my previous life, I would have gotten into some serious shit. Luckily, for me, that was not the case in this life as this type of crap was _expected_ to happen. It's kinda horrifying when you think about it, but then again, we're being trained to become killers. Breaking people's noses is the least of my concerns, especially when medic-nin existed to heal such injuries.

Since that particular sparring incident, everyone has been rather wary of me. Meanwhile with Naruto and Sasuke, they were too busy trying to one-up each other. Kiba was eventually assigned to me as my designated sparring partner after he had left a particularly nasty bite on his last partner. I made him swear not to bite me, because otherwise, I was going to kick him where the sun didn't shine. Keep in mind, I am still physically strong…so ouch.

The times I wasn't with Kiba, I was with Hinata. Everyone had expected me to kick Hinata's ass, but on the contrary, Hinata kicked _my_ ass. Never underestimate the Hyuuga heiress, as soft-spoken as she is. I honestly should tell her to take advantage of that, because she could seriously benefit from it. Oh man, the art of deception is definitely a _deadly_ one…

As for kunoichi classes…we were learning how to conceal weapons—yeah, you heard me, concealment of weapons…IN A KIMONO. You'd be amazed at how many places you can hide a weapon while wearing a kimono. It was pretty awesome! Then I found out we were going to have to implement that into traditional dancing. We were supposed to be able to dance and keep weapons concealed at the same time. Can you say hard mode?

Mikoto was still a great help and Shisui was an absolute dork…the dorkiest of dorks! He refused to let me live it down whenever I screwed up during weapon concealment dancing! I am honestly jealous of how Hinata has managed… Then again, she is probably used to wearing a kimono, unlike me.

Chōji and I soon turned six years old. By now, the gathering of the Four Noble Clans had become an official occurrence. Shisui's presence in the room while the adults were talking in the other room was another thing. When he wasn't teasing me, Shisui was a pretty funny guy. It was certainly amusing for all of us to watch him annoy Itachi.

I think it was during this time that Sasuke decided to bring up what I first told Itachi a year ago when I first saw him. Shisui had been curious and after finding out that I had told Itachi that he looked like a weasel, Shisui started poking fun at Itachi for it. I think it was around this time that we had started laughing because Itachi decided he had enough and punched Shisui across the room.

While concerned at first, upon seeing that Shisui was fine, we started laughing. It felt good to laugh…especially after all that has happened. We were still coping, but it was at least nice to see that we could still laugh.

…

…

…

* * *

><p>AN Yeah…Himawari died. I honestly wasn't expecting to grow so attached to her, but I did. Everyone is still coping, but they're getting better. It'll take time, though. Moving on from that, let's talk about that Academy.

I consider the first year where they spend more time weeding out students who aren't cut out for the shinobi life, the last months being focused on chakra training. Chakra training is basically the moment of truth, whether or not anyone will advance to the next year or transfer to a civilian school. There are exceptions, considering Rock Lee…but he's a special case who got a recommendation. If you're lucky enough someone has seen you working hard enough throughout the year, you could get a recommendation, which could help if you're like Rock Lee.

That aside, the second year is where the _real_ training begins. And in case anyone is wondering, I am in fact a blue belt in Tae Kwon Do…I am supposed to be a brown belt, but I ended up spraining my left foot's little toe when it got caught in the foam mat while I was practicing my blue belt form for the upcoming belt promotion test. After a month's absence, I returned…then college started getting a bit hectic for me and I had to stop going to Tae Kwon Do altogether. It's been nearly a year since I've gone. I want to go back, but I'm so out of shape, I'll _die_ during the warm-up. If I can't get past the warm-up, then I won't make it through the entire lesson.

I still plan on returning…right after I get back into shape. That's enough of my life story, let's move onto Shisui…he is a dork. That is how he came out to be in this fic. He is also the reason Naruto took an interest in pranking, as Naruto would have no actual incentive, as he has been receiving attention.

Despite there being deviations, things eventually even out in some way or form, as shown with how Naruto took an interest in pranking. He has also taken an interesting in gardening, thanks to the Aburame compound, which I always pictured as being a greenhouse of sorts.

Also, Shisui has revealed that the incident that happened during Chōji and Chōko's fifth birthday, in which there were a lot of crying children, did in fact influence the Four Noble Clans, or more specifically, the Uchiha and Hyuuga clans. That is the reason why they had started opening up to Naruto.

ALSO, thanks to this chapter and me talking to **ChibiFoxAI**, I have managed to implement SCIENCE into Naruto. It is as weird as it sounds, but what makes it baffling is that it makes sense. I managed to apply the second law of thermodynamics to Chōji.

_The second law of thermodynamics limits the amount of work that can be performed by energy that is obtained via a heating process—some energy is always lost as waste heat._

Apply it to Chōji and it explains how he never really loses or gains weight, despite being able to convert calories into chakra. And if you think that's weird, then wait until you see what I ended up doing to the Natures. I try to forget about science…but I always end up coming back to it in SOME way. THERE IS NO ESCAPE.

Now this chapter might not be as long as the last chapter, but it still is longer than the others, so I'm happy. Also, to those who have reviewed, thank you so much for taking the time to say something! ^^

That's about it for now, so I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! By the way, this is chapter 13, so there's another one! Ahahaha, yeah…well, until next time, everyone! KD out! XD


	14. Normalize

When Himawari had died, I had no idea how to react. I seriously didn't know how to react.

Someone I knew just died and I just didn't know how to react. I never had this happened to me before until now. I have known friends, in my past life, who have lost their relatives or friends, but this…this was the first time I have ever had this type of experience with death. Knowing that the person you're used to seeing won't ever be there again…I can't even begin to fathom how Hinata must have felt. I mean, she lost her mother…

Hinata had stopped speaking for a short while. Neji had tried coaxing her to speak, as did the rest of us, but Hinata stayed silent. When Itachi had punched Shisui across the room and we had started laughing, that was the first time in nearly two months that we had heard something from Hinata. It was good to hear that Hinata was talking again.

"I feel like a weight's been lifted from my shoulders now that Hina-chan is talking again!" Shisui was quite ecstatic. "Hey, hey, Itachi—are you ready?"

"Are you?" Itachi diverted his eyes on Shisui. "You weren't exactly subtle last night when you were packing your belongings in a hurry."

"Ooh, what were _you_ doing up so late?" Shisui grinned at Itachi. "Huh? Huh?"

"I was trying to sleep." Itachi sighed.

"Nii-san, what's going on?" Sasuke decided to ask.

"Well…" Shisui began.

One explanation later, and we found out that Itachi and Shisui were leaving Konohagakure tomorrow morning to participate in the Chuunin exams being held in Amegakure. When I had asked how long they were going to be gone, Itachi said he didn't know.

If my knowledge is correct, then Itachi was supposed to have made Chuunin at age ten…he's turning eleven next month. Assuming that a deviation hasn't occurred, Itachi should still make Chuunin shortly before his eleventh birthday, so he and Shisui should be back in a month…hopefully. I'm guessing that the exams in Ame go through a different procedure than Konoha…I don't know.

By the way, it turned out that Shisui and Itachi were on the same Genin team. Who would've thought? I certainly wouldn't because I don't know shit. Also, come the next day, it seemed that Shisui and Itachi weren't the only people we knew who were going to take the Chuunin exams in Ame.

Iruka-sensei, as we found out that day, was actually an assistant instructor. Should he be promoted to Chuunin during the exams in Ame, then Iruka-sensei would officially become an instructor. I…have no idea how that works, but it does explain why Mizuki was never too far from Iruka-sensei. Speaking of whom, Mizuki was to be teaching us in Iruka-sensei's absence.

Mizuki…well, there is a good reason why I usually omit the "-sensei" from his name and that is because Mizuki is a prick. Mizuki keeps trying to isolate Naruto from us. It was subtle, but the intent was definitely there…Mizuki did not approve of our friendship with Naruto. It probably didn't help that Naruto's pranking went off the charts during Iruka-sensei's absence. I'm guessing that Naruto doesn't want Mizuki to replace Iruka-sensei.

Other than that, classes went on as usual…with the exception of Shikamaru, Chōji, Kiba, and Naruto skipping class, because Mizuki was being boring. And he was…times like these, I wish I wasn't so uptight about learning because I would have followed Shikamaru, Chōji, Kiba, and Naruto, instead of staying in class with Hinata, Sasuke, and Shino.

During this month, we were learning about weapons, because we weren't allowed to actually start training with them until we knew how to handle them (and other stuff). The last thing anyone needed was a student wielding a weapon without knowing how to handle it. Speaking of weapons, when it came to weapon concealment in kunoichi classes, we actually used fake replicas of weapons. We wouldn't start using _actual_ weapons until next year…joy.

Everyone had passed the weapon concealment test, with the girls who had been stuck taking remedial lessons having also passed their retest. They were now behind us, as we were now working on applying make-up.

I don't exactly hate make-up. In fact, I am very intrigued by it. The different shades, colors, and effects it had on the face—it just seemed all so interesting. I was especially intrigued with certain shades of lipsticks, the same way I have always been intrigued with nail polish colors. I don't care if I don't wear it. If it looks pretty, I _want_ it.

I'd very much enjoy kunoichi classes if it wasn't for one thing…my make-up game is hella weak. Anyone who can apply make-up immediately earns my respect because I can't do shit. The most I can do now is hide the markings on my cheeks, and even then, I considered that a huge accomplishment for myself. Everything after that is a hit or miss because wearing glasses makes it harder to apply make-up when you actually _need_ them on your face to see.

Suzume-sensei empathizes with me as she also wears glasses. That was the last thing I needed because now the other girls, more specifically, the girls who were a lesson behind us, are picking on me again. They think I made it as far as I did because of favoritism. As far as favoritism goes, Suzume-sensei does _not_ go easy on me. Suzume-sensei does go a bit easy on Fuki, but only because of her hearing difficulties and, for the most part, Suzume-sensei has been helping Fuki get around her problems. Nice to see that equal opportunity is part of the shinobi life.

Favoritism accusations aside, I was having fun with make-up, despite my crappy skills and weak-ass make-up game. I managed to pass the make-up exam with a decent grade. I am quite content with this.

About a week after Itachi's birthday had passed, he and Shisui returned to Konohagakure, both in one piece and now sporting a nifty new rank that was Chuunin. Iruka-sensei also returned to us that week, having also made Chuunin, thus officially becoming an instructor. That meant Mizuki's presence was no longer needed, and there was much rejoicing when he left…at least from our circle of friends.

To start off his return, Iruka-sensei introduced us to _real_ kunai and shuriken. He helped us familiarize with them in a way books and lectures couldn't do. We're still not starting target practice until fall. So, for the most part, we're just learning how to physically handle kunai and shuriken. Despite this, Shisui decided that we would benefit a lot from learning early, so visits to the Uchiha compound turned into target practice at the dojo.

"Now when you throw a shuriken or a kunai, you want to aim for the vital parts…observe!" Shisui exclaimed before throwing a kunai at a distant, faceless human-like target that was made out of wood. The shuriken embedded itself perfectly into the bull's-eye, which was in a vital point. "Now I want you guys to try—Itachi, I can see you trying to leave. You still have a long ways to go before you can leave without me noticing…nice try, though. Now go be the best Nii-san ever and help out Sasuke with his position."

"Hn…" Itachi wasn't exactly happy he had gotten caught by Shisui, but helped out Sasuke, nonetheless.

As much of a dork that Shisui is, he is quite the educator. It's certainly never a boring time whenever Shisui is teaching. And it's thanks to this guy that I found out that my hyperopia is extremely useful…how? Well, nearby objects always seem blurry to me. I was never aware of how bad my vision was when I was younger until _after_ I had gotten my glasses. It probably didn't help that I kinda sorta thought that it was normal for your vision to blur when looking at nearby objects when you're young…don't judge me! I don't usually pay much attention to nearby objects, as my attention always seems to drift away to something in the background…I get easily distracted, okay?!

Oh dammit, I'm getting off topic. _Anyways_, aside from my hyperopia making it difficult for me to see things up close, it _also_ makes it easier for me to see things at a far distance much clearer. Long story short, I had better aim than Sasuke, who had been quite proud of himself when he did better than the rest of us, excluding Shisui and Itachi—Itachi especially. When Shisui had taken my glasses and had me throw a couple of kunai at the target, my aim had improved quite drastically, being more on-target.

"Wow…" Shisui was impressed. "Hey, Chō-chan…have you ever considered shurikenjutsu?"

I haven't, actually…but I am _now_! Shurikenjutsu pertains to techniques that entail the throwing of shuriken, kunai, senbon or any other of a number of bladed, hand-held weapons. And with my hyperopia, I could be the kunoichi-version of Meirin from _Kuroshitsuji_! Yeah, that sounds bitchin'.

Speaking of kunoichi, kunoichi lessons have moved onto hairstyling. The girls who were a lesson behind us now had to deal with both make-up _and_ hairstyling the entire month in order to catch up with the rest of the class. This was honestly the perfect opportunity for them to catch up.

Anyways, hairstyling…yeah, the most I can do is tie my hair in a ponytail and I've just about figured out how to braid my own hair. It's honestly getting easier as my hair gets longer…but I really can't do anything else to my hair, other than that.

I'm learning, though…and in the never-ending cycle of bullying, all attention has shifted away from me and now poor Kasumi is dealing with the brunt of it due to her naturally curly auburn hair. Of course, Ami wasn't having any of it and by the end of the first week, the bullying stopped after one girl had a tuft of her hair pulled out of her scalp. I'm honestly wondering what's up with Ami. There has to be more than meets the eye with this girl.

That aside, with everyone learning how to do their own hair (me including), I've noticed a number of girls changing their hairstyles and approaching our circle of friends to talk with Sasuke. Sasuke still had no tact and made a total of three girls cry when he said their hair looked weird and ugly…because the girls were still in the learning process of styling their hair correctly.

"Itachi-san isn't going to be happy when he finds out you've made those girls cry," Shikamaru remarked.

"Well, maybe if their hair was as pretty as Chōko's, I wouldn't have made them cry," Sasuke said as he tried to steal a tomato from me. "I was just telling the truth."

"That makes no sense—you think I have pretty hair?" Priorities, Chōko, priorities—oh, who am I kidding. I think it's nice someone complimented me on my hair.

"Hinata has pretty hair, too…but yours is longer." Sasuke took a bite out of the tomato he had just stolen from me…the punk. After chewing a few times, he swallowed and then added, "Long hair looks nice."

Yes, yes, it does look nice—wait _what_? Oh, you gotta be fucking kidding me! Don't you dare tell me that _this_ is how the rumor of Sasuke liking long hair gets out! No, I refuse to be the reason girls start growing out their hair because Sasuke likes long hair!

…

About a few days later during a kunoichi class, I found myself getting picked on by the other girls for having long hair. I was not happy…especially since these girls were mad that I was friends with Sasuke, even though Hinata was his friend as well, but she was overlooked for reasons that involved her short hair and no one really wanted to mess with a Hyuuga. Meanwhile with me, my door-breaking strength seemed to have gone ignored and it was only until someone tried breaking my glasses that said strength was brought into attention the hard way. Let's just say that a couple of girls were taken to the Academy's infirmary after that. Again, if I had done this in my past life, I would've gotten into some deep shit…but this is the world of Naruto and stuff like this is the norm…well, not in civilian families.

The girls I sent to the infirmary all came from civilian families and their parents were pissed that I had hurt their "precious angels". Of course, Suzume-sensei put them in their place when she brought up that what I had done was in self-defense and it was really the girls' fault for messing with someone from the Akimichi clan. Upon realizing that I was an Akimichi, the parents immediately left and I felt oddly smug. I just got away with something because of my clan's name… I don't like this one bit. But I do appreciate the fact that Suzume-sensei was on my side.

I'm still not happy that I was the reason that girls found out about Sasuke liking long hair. Oooh, _please_ don't tell me Sakura and Ino are going to fight over Sasuke and end up damaging their friendship because of it! Please, those two girls were getting along _so_ well…I mean, really!

Oddly enough, though, when I overheard their conversation about Sasuke as Sakura helped Ino with her hair, for the sake of getting some practice on each other, Ino mentioned she was going to start growing out her hair. Sakura just smiled and said she was going to keep her hair short.

"I like the way my short hair looks with the ribbon you gave me!" was Sakura's explanation for keeping her hair short.

Ino honestly looked touched…and I was quite surprised with what I had just seen and heard. Sakura had no interest in growing out her hair, which could only mean she didn't have a crush on Sasuke… Was this this the result of her being in a different class? I'm concerned…but at the same time, relieved…because Sakura cared more about her friendship with Ino than some boy she didn't even know and I _know_ she doesn't know Sasuke the way she did, had she been in the same class as him. I guess that's probably why the crush never developed…

…

Everyone did well on the hairstyling exam, with Kasumi getting honorable mention for being able to use her curly hair as a charm point for her hairstyle. Ami certainly looked smug at the girls who had once picked on Kasumi. I was just happy I could put up my hair in something other than a braid or a ponytail…or pigtails, braided or unbraided.

The girls who had been a lesson behind us had now officially caught up with the rest of the class. They were able to join us for the next lesson, which revolved around tea ceremonies. I'm not going to enjoy this because tea ceremonies mean wearing a kimono and because of how formal tea ceremonies are, that meant the seiza position was essential. Fuck…my…life…

Visits to the Uchiha compound continued as Mikoto helped Hinata and me with learning about tea ceremonies, both of what it consisted of and how it was performed. Once she had started helping us practice, Itachi and Neji were dragged into it as our practice guests. The rest of the boys hung out with Shisui, who continued being the best target practice teacher he could ever be. Shisui was _supposed_ to have been helping, alongside Itachi, but he nominated Neji to take his place and Mikoto just went along with it.

Let me just say…fuck you, Shisui. You have no idea how _unnerving_ it was to have Neji as a practice guest. Why am I so unnerved? Because Neji was watching my _every_ movement and I just felt a lot of pressure. I didn't have this sort of pressure with Itachi, even though he did the same thing as Neji…it's probably the eyes—yeah, it's the eyes.

That aside, everything was going well…then _it_ happened. During a kunoichi class, Ami had tripped as she was passing by Sakura's table and ended up knocking over the kettle full of hot water onto Sakura. Just to clarify, it was _all_ an accident…but the fact still stands that Ami is the reason Sakura had to go to the hospital because of that accident. And because of that accident, with many girls holding grudges against Ami…it wasn't a surprise that they decided to start spreading rumors. The rumors were that Ami had tripped on purpose and that she had intended to hurt Sakura. In reality, Ami was just unfortunate enough to trip on her own kimono and cause such an accident.

Sakura was fine, by the way. She came back from the hospital a couple of days later, looking quite fine, even though the water had scalded her skin rather badly at the time of the accident. She went on and on about how the medic-nin were very nice to her and did their best to help her out. It was because of a medic-nin that Sakura had managed to heal without any scars. For that, Sakura was eternally grateful.

Meanwhile with Ami, after getting picked on by others for a change, she started growing rather irritated. After about a week of getting bullied, Ami decided to vent out her frustration on me during lunch break. I ignored her, at first…but when she made me drop the onigiri I had in my hands, I got _mad_.

"What the hell is wrong with you?!" I yelled at Ami. "Why do you feel the need to take it out on me?!"

Ami hadn't been expecting me to react that way, based on the expression she had on her face. She almost seemed scared…no, she _was_ scared. It was as if she was expecting me to hit her…and upon thinking that, I noticed the dark bruise on her left cheek.

Without even thinking, I found myself asking, "Where did you get that?"

The next thing I knew, Ami was crying and Kasumi and Fuki were trying their best to calm her down. I stared at the scene before me, looking back at my friends, who had no idea how to respond. I turned my attention back on Ami and her friends and said the first word that popped into my head.

"Food?"

…

…

I found out that day that Ami comes from a dysfunctional civilian family. Last night was the first time they had ever hit her. I always knew something was up with Ami, but I never expected this to be it. The reason Ami is even in the Academy is so she can become a Genin and leave home. For the most part, Ami usually stays over at Fuki's house because Kasumi is an orphan and lives at the orphanage.

Both of Fuki's parents are shinobi, but they were medic-nin who worked at the hospital. Fuki's parents thought she wouldn't make it far as a kunoichi because of her hearing difficulties. They keep pushing her to become a medic-nin, but Fuki was having none of that. Fuki set out to prove them wrong and made it this far.

Kasumi deals with a lot of issues at the orphanage. The children like to pick on her because of her curly hair and her surname, Nanashi, earned her the nickname, "No-Name Kasumi". Kasumi wanted to become a kunoichi so she could gain a sense of identity.

Ami, Fuki, and Kasumi…they might have been minor characters in the Naruto series, but here…they're actual people. They are children with problems…and I'm just someone who was probably never meant to exist. It's a pretty sobering thought. Still, Ami looked a lot better now that she told someone else about her problems. Kasumi and Fuki were even smiling…because someone knew. I wished them luck and they thanked me.

I really hope they become Genin…

…

Ami, Fuki, and Kasumi didn't join our circle of friends. They were acquaintances at most, but for the most part, they were no longer participating in the cycle of bullying—in fact, Ami took to stamping out any bullying attempts, instead of just giving a damn when someone was picking on her friends. Fuki and Kasumi were the ones to get everyone to stop bullying Ami. Sakura also debunked the rumor, so that certainly helped.

Academy life returned to its usual routine after that. The tea ceremony was still a bitch to do, but not too difficult, I was everyone's hated opponent in sparring, Sakura was absolutely obsessed with medic-nin—wait, what?!

Yeah, thing about the accident between Ami and Sakura…when Sakura had returned, completely healed, she kept talking about medic-nin, saying how amazing they were. As of recently, I've seen her reading a book on medic-nin during lunch break. I think Sakura might just end up becoming a medic-nin at this rate. Ino certainly sounds supportive, as is Suzume-sensei.

I'm honestly amazed at how this ended up happening. Again, despite the deviations, they even out in some ways. I'm honestly scared that deviations can even regulate in the first place, because it just makes me question… How far can a deviation go before it normalizes?

…

…

…

* * *

><p>AN **UPDATE 11-22-14: If you don't see or hear anything from me after a few days, do not be alarmed, I am not dead. I just got _Omega Ruby_ and _Alpha Sapphire_ and I've been waiting MONTHS for these games because HOENN CONFIRMED. Also, I'm gonna be getting _Persona Q_, and that's another thing...so yeah. Hope you guys don't mind!**

Despite the changes that happen, in some way or form, they will even out. What makes it scarier is that things can deviate…but it'll normalize itself eventually in some way. What the point of normalization is exactly…it is a mystery. It can be from anything, from Naruto's hobby of water plants and pulling pranks, to Sakura's initiative to become a medic-nin.

As for Ami, Fuki, and Kasumi…they're very minor characters who have only showed up a few times in the _Naruto_ series, but just because they're minor characters doesn't mean they're two-dimensional. Ami comes from a dysfunctional civilian family, Fuki's parents underestimate her because of her hearing difficulties, and Kasumi is an orphan who deals with issues back at the orphanage.

Sakura has not developed a crush on Sasuke because, due to being in a different class than him, Sakura doesn't know Sasuke the same way she would have, had she been in his class. The crush had no room for development, so Sakura stays friends with Ino.

Also, because I failed to do the math, I had to create an explanation as to _why_ a fourteen going on fifteen-year-old GENIN Iruka would be teaching at the Academy, even though he is not a Chuunin…yet. So I talked it out with **ChibiFoxAI** and Iruka being an assistant instructor was what came out of it. Thing about instructors is they don't _have_ to be Chuunin to be an instructor…they just have to be a Chuunin to be an _official_ instructor. Take it or leave it, all I know is that I don't feel as stupid anymore for not knowing how to math…bluh.

Itachi still became a Chuunin at age ten…he just happened to be eleven years old when he returned to Konoha. And Iruka's birthday is May 26, so he became a Chuunin just shortly after he turned sixteen. I don't know why I picked Amegakure as the location where they took their Chuunin exams. I was just talking to **ChibiFoxAI** and I just randomly suggested the name and yeah… Thinking about it now, it could be my subconscious wishing for rain because we kinda need it here in California, what with this drought we have…

And if you guys weren't aware _how_ slow I could be, I didn't make the Meirin from _Kuroshitsuji_ correlation to Chōko until recently. The plan was for Chōko to go into shurikenjutsu and taijutsu (might as well use advantage of that speed and strength). Keep in mind that Chōko was not originally a glasses-wearing girl. And the thing with hyperopia is that it is rarer than uncommon myopia (nearsightedness), which is the most common reason for vision correction.

That aside, shout-out goes to **Shadow demon Kitsune** for being reviewer #30! Thank you guys so much for taking the time to review!

Oh man, I have one more week to go until I'm out of school for winter break and just…ugh, I am mentally drained…I haven't even started any of my final exams, so just…eeugh, college. Anyways, that's it for now. I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Until next time, everyone! KD out! XD


	15. Time

Kiba's sixth birthday was on Tanabata, so we certainly had an interesting night at the Tanabata festival. Last year, it had rained on Tanabata, so the festival was cancelled. Not this time, though. Naruto and Sasuke were still competing against each other in the games, with Kiba including himself along in it. Chōji was eating, Shikamaru was being a smartass as I was trying to catch myself a goldfish, and failing badly at it. Hinata was being supportive, Neji and Shino were just watching, and Itachi was being our designated babysitter…because like hell anyone would trust Shisui with the responsibility.

After seeing me fail at least sixteen times, Neji pushed me aside and won me a goldfish…show off. I could've done it—ahaha, _no_. Who am I even trying to kid? I _suck_ at the goldfish scooping game. I'm too impatient for it. I'm actually glad Neji got me a goldfish…it was a completely white goldfish, that I later named Yang…yes. So, apart from Shiro, Yang is another commemoration of Neji's random act of kindness. Shisui would _not_ let Neji hear the end of it and Neji was glaring at Itachi for smirking.

Neji had also been keeping his distance from me after he had won me that goldfish. It was probably because he thought I was going to smack another sticker onto his forehead and I would have…but I ran out of them a few days ago and forgot to buy more. Of course, Neji didn't know that and I think I might have pulled a Pavlov's Dog on this kid. Oops…ahaha, didn't mean to do that.

By the end of the night, Kiba had managed to get Sasuke and Naruto to work together against him and Shisui was still teasing Neji. The latter was nothing out of the usual, just another typical occurrence for our circle of friends.

The last event of the Tanabata festival was watching a play about the tale of Orihime and Hikoboshi, where two random people would get picked out to play the two characters. This year, the person picked to play Hikoboshi was actually Iruka-sensei, much to all of our surprise. And Orihime was to be played by, _of all people_, Mitarashi Anko. It was a pretty amusing sight, seeing Iruka-sensei acting all flustered and Anko finding the entire thing hilarious.

Overall, it was a pretty memorable Tanabata…and I meant that in a good way. Also, a few days later, when Neji least expected it, I smacked a sticker onto his forehead. He was not amused…but I was. And so the teasing from Shisui ensued.

…

…

On Sasuke's sixth birthday, we spent the day training at the Uchiha compound dojo…because Shisui wanted all of us to be ready for when we returned back to the Academy. Due to my hyperopia giving me a boost in improved aim, I made a rival out of myself for Sasuke. This, in turn, caused _Naruto_ to feel jealous because _he_ wanted to be the one to one-up Sasuke. Somehow, I found myself in a rivalry triangle. It's exactly like a love triangle, except you replace the love with rivalry and you get rid of a whole lot of miscommunications and drama. Shisui honestly found it amusing as hell.

I, on the other hand, found it annoying because I did not want to partake in this rivalry. Because when I get competitive, I get freaking _competitive_. I will swear and persevere _so hard_, it's honestly an amazement that I haven't exhausted myself just yet…and trust me, I _have_. I just choose not to give up. I will _eventually_ give up, but how long it'll take for me to come to that decision depends on how long the other party decides to keep trying. I might give up first…or I might just make it through with sheer-determination because the other party got tired and gave up. I am _that_ bad of a rival. No one wants that…_no one_.

Why else would Neji push me aside and win those goldfishes for Hinata and me? He got tired of watching me fail and persevere despite failing. Again, it's _that_ bad.

Thankfully, Itachi caught on and brought attention back onto himself with his perfectly accurate aim and precise skill. I have a long ways to go before I get on his level, but I don't mind. I'm just glad I won't exhaust myself because I got competitive…or exhaust anyone in general.

Sasuke's sixth birthday was also the day Shisui introduced me to senbon. At the time, I didn't know where he got the senbon, but I was just looking over one of the metal needles, lightly tapping the ends with my finger and accidentally pricking it in the process, like an idiot. Shisui took the senbon from me after that, telling me not to get blood on it.

"I need to make sure these senbon are all in one piece by the end of the day," Shisui explained. "I'll get you your own senbon, just so you can practice. Anyways, the thing about senbon is that they have little killing power. What they compensate for it, though, is that they can be thrown with great accuracy."

"Cool…" I really like the sound of that… "What else can they do?"

"If you have the proper medical knowledge, senbon can be used effectively to incapacitate or even kill." Shisui chuckled upon seeing me blanch. "Of course, you don't have the proper medical knowledge…doesn't hurt to know it, though. I think we have a book about that around in our library?"

I seriously think Shisui is suggesting I read that book. I might…but before anything, there's one thing I want to know. "Whose senbon are these?"

At that moment, from where we all stood, Mikoto's voice could be heard, as she yelled, "Where are my senbon?!"

All attention immediately turned to Shisui, who was looking rather pale right now.

"Ehehe, oops…" Shisui smiled nervously. "I guess I should have asked…?"

"You should run," Itachi was quick to say.

"I should," Shisui agreed.

"Okaa-saaaan! Shisui took 'em!" Sasuke suddenly yelled back.

Shisui glared at Sasuke. "Sasuke, you traitor, I thought we had something special?"

"We did…but then you took my dango and ate it." Sasuke was a vengeful little bastard.

"When this is all over, I swear, you are going to pay for this," Shisui said darkly.

"SHISUIIIII!" Mikoto's voice was both loud…and sounded close.

Sasuke smirked at Shisui. "Shouldn't you be running?"

"You little—Mikoto-san, how are you today on this lovely afternoon?" Shisui looked nervously at Mikoto, who was certainly not in a good mood.

Mikoto took one look at Shisui, taking note of the senbon in his possession, and said, "I'm giving you ten seconds to explain why you decided to take my senbon without asking."

"Well, you see…oh hey, someone's calling me!" Shisui got the hell out of dodge after that, with Mikoto closely follow him as he ran out of the dojo.

It was certainly an interesting sight to behold. I later found out that day that, back in the day before settling down as a housewife, Mikoto had used senbon during her kunoichi days and kept a set of senbon on her in case of emergencies. As Shisui had taken Mikoto's senbon without her permission, Shisui had to endure a rather long lecture from her after she had caught him. Shisui was then forced to clean out the dojo by himself after that as punishment.

Shisui was not in the happiest of moods when he approached Sasuke. Of course, Shisui couldn't stay mad too long at Sasuke…not on his birthday. Come the next day, however, Sasuke was given a rather rude awakening in the form of him falling into Uchiha koi pond. Shisui had gotten his revenge, Naruto couldn't be any more amazed by Shisui's prankster gambit, and Sasuke learned the hard way about disproportionate retribution.

About a week after that, we were all let out of the Academy for summer vacation. Unlike last year, this time around, we _all_ got summer homework for our regular classes. As I had mentioned once before, we weren't going to learning how to throw shuriken and kunai until fall. Because of that, we were going to be tested on whether or not we could be trusted to handle such weapons for target practice, which was scheduled to begin a week after we returned from summer vacation.

So gone was our fun-filled summer as Itachi and Shisui had all of us finish our summer homework before anything. Our summer didn't actually begin until _after_ the summer festival, which, to be perfectly honest, was the type of thing we needed after our finishing our homework. Of course, as we were all mentally exhausted, we ended up missing out on the fireworks, as we had fallen asleep on the Hyuuga compound veranda. Only Shisui, Itachi, and Neji had seen the fireworks…the lucky bastards. Still, it was a pretty fun night and breakfast at the Hyuuga compound was oddly not as intimidating as it could have been. Baby Hanabi was definitely the highlight of that morning, having rolled over for the first time.

Tea ceremony practice was still a thing and Neji was _still_ the most unnerving practice guest. I nearly dropped the tea bowl full of the green tea I had recently finished mixing because had Neji accidentally startled me. He was just saying how tense I was as I was passing him the bowl and I, having been immersed in my work, didn't take too well to his sudden words. Thankfully, Neji kept me from dropping the bowl. Neither of us spoke to each other until after tea ceremony practice was over, as Neji felt rather bad for scaring me, and I was honestly still recovering from the fright I gave myself when I nearly dropped the bowl.

What I like about tea ceremony practice is, after all is done, we got to eat the candy-like sweets that we usually served during these practice sessions. Though, unlike most sessions, Neji gave me his portion of his sweets. When I asked him why, Neji said nothing and just looked away. I guess this was his way of apologizing for nearly causing me to drop the tea bowl.

When I tried to smack a sticker onto his forehead, Neji caught my hand and just took the sticker from me. I stared at him for a moment and Neji sighed before placing the sticker onto his forehead. Itachi made a comment after that, which earned him a glare from Neji. Hinata started laughing, and so did I. And just when Neji thought it couldn't get any worse, Shisui joined the mix. He had actually seen everything and started teasing Neji because of it.

Messing with Neji was just fun to do when you knew how to do it correctly. I'm honestly amazed how much he has tolerated Shisui, Itachi, Hinata, and me. Still, it's nice seeing how far he has come since the Kagome Kagome incident. I can't believe it's only been a year since the incident… He rarely smiles, but the fact that he even _smiles_ is a milestone within itself.

And just like the year before, summer soon came to an end. Classes began with homework being turned it and review on how to handle weapons (it was as boring as it sounded). I honestly never thought I'd welcome an exam…like ever, but I did…and the whole class passed that exam, so target practice immediately ensued after that. The tea ceremony exam wasn't too difficult and I think it's safe to say that, by now, I have grown accustomed to sitting in seiza while wearing a kimono. All I can even say is hell fucking yes. About damn time that happened.

Embroidery lessons began after that and dear god, _my eyes_! Never have I _ever_ had to adjust my glasses so many times before until then, and it was all so I could thread a _fricken'_ needle. I already know I'm not going to have a fun time because of my vision problems, but god dammit, if I'm not going to try my hardest so I can at least pass and avoid remedial lessons!

Between kunoichi classes and regular classes, I had to go from relying on my glasses to do something, to taking them off in order to take advantage of my hyperopia. It was hell…but on the bright side, I was at the top of the class for my precise accuracy! Sasuke was right behind me after that, much to his annoyance, but he dealt with it…because he and Naruto were now at it against each other, as usual, with Kiba trying to get in on it, only for Shino to start acting a bit more assertive and keeping the Inuzuka from intruding on the rivalry between Naruto and Sasuke. Hinata had to act as a peacekeeper to prevent Kiba from attacking Shino in order to establish dominance. It's funny how close the Inuzuka are in behavior to their canine companions. I think the same can apply to the Aburame and their insects.

Also, can I just say that this early Team Kurenai interaction is adorable? Though, now that I've mentioned it, all we're really missing is Ino in order to complete Team Asuma and the Ino-Shika-Chō trio and Sakura for Team Kakashi…thinking of it now, is Sakura still in the run for Team Kakashi? I have a really bad feeling that she isn't… I mean, the day she was placed in a different class should have said something, but I'm still hoping! Maybe she'll transfer to our class! Yeah, that's a positive thought!

I am _so_ in denial…

…

During one embroidery class, I found out that Fuki had recommended Sakura to her parents and because of that, Sakura had already started medic-nin training. I wish her luck, because Sakura really seems happy about her medic-nin training. She'll certainly become a valuable teammate to her future team at this rate…I like the sound of that thought.

Shikamaru's sixth birthday was, much like last year, just another typical day at the Nara compound…except Shisui was there. And Shisui was definitely welcomed by Yoshino, because Shisui knew how to worm his way into your heart if you let him. I'm not sure whether that's a good thing or a bad thing… All I know that the way he did it wasn't done with ill intentions, so it shouldn't be anything relatively negative.

…

…

I'm pretty sure the Sandaime was a tad bit pained to see that he had to pay for yet another person when he took all of us out to Ichiraku Ramen for Naruto's birthday. It was around that time that we also found out Shisui was turning fourteen nine days later. Both he and Naruto were quite happy to find out how close their birthdays were to each other.

"Birthday buddies!" Shisui exclaimed as he ruffled Naruto's hair. "That's what we are!"

"Hell yeah, dattebayo!" Naruto was smiling widely.

Naruto's birthday was later spent at the Uchiha compound, Mikoto having taken charge of handling Naruto's birthday. Apart from that, the same thing happened as last year, minus Naruto crying out of happiness. It was a good day for Naruto all-around.

And nine days after Naruto's birthday, Shisui abducted us during class and took us all out for dango—yes, he took us out _during_ class, _without_ Iruka-sensei noticing. Iruka-sensei was not going to be happy when he found out, but Shisui didn't give a damn. It was his birthday and for his birthday, he wanted all of us to skip school. I nearly had a freak-out because I was missing class, like holy crap, _no_. Take me back, dammit!

I'm honestly wondering how a fourteen-year-old Chuunin managed to successfully abduct eight children during class. He even managed to get _Neji_, of all people, out of his class! It wasn't even lunchtime…I'm starting to see how Shisui later got into ANBU. Speaking of ANBU, when is Itachi getting in? Wasn't he like…eleven when that happened? Well, I guess that should be happening soon, then…unless a deviation occurred. Of course, the deviation will eventually normalize itself. Just…it's confusing.

"Oh god, we are so screwed when Iruka-sensei finds out…" He probably already found out…

"Calm down, Chō-chan!" Shisui said as he patted me on the back. "Have some dango."

"I already am…" Mitarashi dango and chadango (green tea flavored dango) are amongst my favorite types of dango. I'm at least happy I'm eating something to make up for the empty feeling that comes from skipping classes—how the hell is everyone doing so well?! Even Hinata and Neji are doing better than I am and they are model students…at least, I can only assume Neji is a model student. Oh god, Shisui is the worst influence on us—Itachi, why are you not doing anything about this?!

"You know how Shisui is," Itachi replied. "You might as well just sit back and let it happen."

I hate you, Itachi…you could at least _try_. Oh dango, you're my only support in this time of need. Never leave me…I just realized something.

I never watched _Clannad_, the anime that all my college buddies were having feels for. Now I will _never_ find out _why_ they were having so many **feels**! And now as I eat my mitarashi dango, I'm having regrets.

I'm sad to say that all I know about the anime is this fucking song about dango, or a big dango family—whatever! And now, here I am, humming the damn song…

"That's a nice tune you got there!" Oh, shit, Shisui heard me!

"You heard nothing!" God dammit, Chōko, just bring attention to yourself in this damn dango shop, why don't you?!

"Oh, what do we have here?" Oh fuck it all, you're here, too, Anko?! Oh, the fucking irony of eating mitarashi dango while _Mitarashi_ Anko is right in the vicinity—will the irony ever end?!

I have a feeling it won't…at least dango is pretty tasty… "Hey!"

"I'll take that!" Anko says as she jacks my dango from me. "So, care to tell me why a bunch of children are skipping class today?"

All attention immediately turned to Shisui, who just laughed it off.

"C'mon, it's my birthday today!" Shisui try to convince Anko. "I'll buy you dango."

"…I'm listening…" Anko said before eating one of the dango on the skewer. "So, happy birthday, Shisui…how old are you again?"

Shisui laughed nervously. "The least you can do is pretend you remember!"

It was certainly an interesting birthday for Shisui…and about an hour later, Iruka-sensei found us and dragged our asses back to the Academy after scolding Shisui. Though, not without a little bit of teasing from Anko, whom was still laughing at the memory of her and Iruka-sensei playing Orihime and Hikoboshi in the Tanabata festival parade. Iruka-sensei went a little easier on us after that, having been a little flustered upon being reminded of such a memory. I could tell that Anko was having fun messing with Iruka-sensei.

…

Somehow, none of us got detention for Shisui's little stunt. Our parents weren't notified and just…honestly, this could have been worse. Immediately after classes, however, Shisui grabbed all of us and took us to the Uchiha compound for target practice. Shisui took the time to introduce me to the senbon set he received on his birthday.

"Now you have your own set!" Shisui grinned widely.

I blinked a few times. "Uh…isn't it supposed to be your birthday?"

"Well, _excuse_ me for wanting to be a helpful friend!" Shisui huffed. "So it's my birthday…sure, I could keep this senbon set to myself, ooorrr…I could be a nice guy and use it to help you out since Mikoto-san has barred me from touching her senbon."

"…You're a dork, you know that?" But you're our dork, Shisui…never stop being a dork.

…

…

I'm honestly glad that kunoichi classes are still focusing on embroidery, with regular sewing on the side. At the same time, I hate it…because _my eyes_. Why couldn't I have myopia? At least my hyperopia makes up for itself during target practice in normal classes… I'm also doing well in taijutsu and I am honestly amazed that I have yet to break my glasses. Let's hope I didn't jinx myself…

For all that I struggled with embroidery and sewing, I got a decent grade in the exam. Hard work and effort makes a difference, apparently. I keep forgetting that Suzume-sensei was also including effort into scoring.

What came after embroidery and sewing was cooking. I already knew I was going to do well in class because Mama has already started teaching me how to cook and I was progressing well. According to Suzume-sensei, we were going to be focusing on cooking until winter vacation, as cooking was something that was both a useful everyday skill to have and a weapon, if done right. Of course, we weren't going to be focusing on the latter part until next year. All Suzume-sensei wanted us to do now was introduce us to the basics so we have an idea for next year.

Target practice continued in regular classes, with our aim and throwing distance improving the more often we did it. Shuriken were added into the mix, whereas before, we were just focusing on kunai. The difference between shuriken and kunai, apart from appearance, is that kunai are larger and heavier, the grip could be used in hand-to-hand combat more readily (we haven't gotten to including weapons in sparring yet, but we will eventually, according to Iruka-sensei), and it could also be used for climbing. There was also a difference in holding each weapon, which I noticed immediately upon the many numerous times I accidentally cut myself on a shuriken as I pulled it out of the target.

Also, here's an interesting fact about the world of Naruto…English exists. Like, seriously, it _exists_…but here's the catch: It's a shinobi language. Only _shinobi_ are allowed to learn the language and, furthermore, you _have_ to be an Academy student to start learning the language. This is the reason why Neji, Itachi, and Shisui haven't mentioned anything about it to us until we reached the subject in class. The exact moment they found out we started learning English, they started helping us out.

The reason why it's even taught in the first place is to have a second language to depend on in the presence of civilians, who wouldn't otherwise know what the language even is. It's also one way to officially tell the difference between a shinobi and a civilian. And to become an instructor or a Jounin, you _had_ to be fluent in the language. Talk about prerequisites.

That aside, guess who did well in English? If you guessed me, then you're absolutely right! For the first time, since target practice, I did better than Sasuke! Of course, I cheated in the sense that, in my past life, English was one of the languages I grew up speaking, with Spanish being right after it. Though, while English was easy to learn (for me)…I _had_ to be freaking careful about it because it was a language everyone in class was _learning_. So I had to purposely flub a few parts in order to make it seem as if I wasn't completely fluent, I was just a fast-learner.

It probably helps that, as we're Academy students learning the language, we're allowed to get help from our families and connections, assuming they are shinobi. This is where it paid to have friends who came from shinobi families if one wasn't born in one. Naruto was certainly doing well to an extent as a result of his many connections. It also probably helped that Iruka-sensei was helping him out as well…

One of the things I learned is that it wasn't uncommon for shinobi who have already graduated from the Academy to sometimes stay behind a little longer in order to improve their English. In certain cases, the shinobi who stay longer at the Academy are usually those who are placed in the Genin Reserves, which usually happens when a class has an uneven number of graduates. Uneven graduates make it difficult for the formation of teams, which is what the Genin Reserves are for, keeping potential Genin reserved until an available team is found for them.

It was certainly a lot of information to retain, but it somehow stuck with me. And up until the day we graduated from the Academy, English was going to be a language we were going to be learning. Naruto was annoyed, Shikamaru considered it troublesome, Chōji was concerned, Shino was calm, as was Hinata, Kiba was just irritated, Sasuke had potentially met his problem subject, and I was just going to be having to watch myself from now on. This is definitely going to be a _fun_ six years…

…

November soon passed and December brought us to Hinata's sixth birthday. Most of it was spent passing nine-month-old Hanabi around. And when she wasn't being held, she was crawling around the floor. Shisui had a fun time trying to get Hanabi to say something, as Hanabi, for a nine-month-year-old baby, was a little behind on speaking skills…in comparison to Hinata, who was six months old when she had said her first word. Of course, everyone is different, Shino argued, which is honestly true.

That didn't stop Shisui from trying to get his name to be the first thing Hanabi said. From there on, it turned into a bit of a game to see if anyone could get Hanabi to say anything. When Hiashi decided to check up on us to make sure we weren't corrupting his precious baby girl (the other one—the nine-month-old baby whose name meant firework), Hanabi finally spoke…

And guess what it was that she said?

"Nawu!" Hanabi exclaimed. "Nawu-nawu!"

Immediately, all attention was on Naruto, who was blushing as Hanabi reached out for him as she called for him in the best way a nine-month-old who had just started speaking could. Hinata placed Hanabi onto the floor, where she was quick to crawl all the way over to Naruto, who was just stunned that something like this was even happening. Hanabi tugged on Naruto's shirt a few times before Naruto found the courage to pick her up.

Hanabi squealed as she loudly exclaimed, "Nawu-nawu!"

"N-Naruto," Naruto found himself correcting Hanabi. "Naruto."

"Nawu-to," Hanabi repeated in the best way she could. "Nawu-to…"

Naruto smiled nervously and sighed. "Close enough."

"Nawu-nawu!" Hanabi went back to calling Naruto the name she had been referring to him by. It was probably easier for her.

Hiashi had stayed a moment longer to watch as Naruto handled his nine-month-old daughter, who kept calling the blond-haired boy's name every few moments or so. Afterwards, Hiashi had left, saying nothing whatsoever to us. Hinata waited a few minutes before suggesting that we all teach Hanabi how to say father.

When Hiashi decided Hanabi had spent enough time with us kids and walked into the room to pick her up, Hanabi was babbling, "Tou-tou" to him. It certainly caught Hiashi by surprised and I'm honestly amazed that none of us laughed…

We all did laugh once we were sure Hiashi was out of earshot when he had left the room with Hanabi. Best…sixth birthday…_ever_…it was certainly one we weren't going to be forgetting any time soon and that was freaking awesome.

…

…

The New Year came and the same happened as last year, with Naruto spending it at the Uchiha compound, where I'm pretty sure he and Shisui set off a number of pranks on the older Uchiha. Sasuke was certainly laughing as he told us what happened the day we returned to the Academy for classes. Naruto looked smug, Shikamaru seemed amused, and Chōji was wondering how Naruto managed to get out in one piece. Hinata had been listening intently, Kiba was honestly impressed, and I was wondering just how Shisui and Naruto were even capable of pulling off so many pranks in the first place.

How the frick did Fugaku not put an end to it? Did he secretly enjoy them? It certainly seems like it from the way Naruto and Shisui got away with it all.

"Shisui-nii is the best, dattebayo!" Naruto grinned widely.

Shisui-nii…? That is new…I guess they're _that_ close, huh? Ahaha, that's good to hear. I hadn't been the only one to notice the addition Naruto had made to Shisui's name. Shino had picked up on it as well and even asked Naruto about it. All Naruto did was blush as he rubbed the back of his head and grinned as he usually did. He just seemed so happy.

And when we were all invited over the Aburame compound for Shino's seventh birthday, Naruto seemed even happier, what with the greenery surrounding all of us. Naruto always enjoyed visiting the Aburame compound. Shino had picked up on Naruto's interest in gardening and had gotten the blond a couple of potted plants for his birthday. Naruto always makes it a habit to mention the condition of said plants to Shino, much to Shino's amusement. I could tell that Shino was happy.

Shino's seventh birthday had been a pretty memorable day, full of helping Shino tend for the greenery surrounding the compound. It wasn't boring—in fact, it was rather relaxing. I would have enjoyed it, had I not been worried about one thing.

Shino just turned seven years old…soon, the rest of us, with the exception of Neji, Itachi, and Shisui, would be turning seven as well. Along with that, Itachi would be turning twelve…

Time was running out, unless a deviation had occurred, then in two years, the Uchiha Clan Massacre will occur. I had initially thought I had two years, but the truth was that I had miscounted…I had an extra year, so three years in total. Or at least until Itachi turned thirteen. Still, will the extra time do anything at all to change events that have yet to come? Or will that be the point of normalization?

…

…

…

* * *

><p>AN So, despite the fact that I was distracted by playing _Pokémon_ _Omega Ruby_ (saving _Alpha Sapphire_ for later), I _somehow_ managed to finish this chapter so fast. Yeah, go figure…but seriously, if you don't hear anything from me in a couple of days, it's because Pokémon is taking over my life…THAT, and I still have a week left of finals to go. Wish me luck, everyone!

Oh, and the thing about English…yeah, one thing I've noticed is that English is never usually brought up, despite the fact that I have clearly heard Maito Guy yell out, "DYNAMIC ENTRY" in English…in the original version. So I started thinking, what if English is a shinobi-exclusive language? I think I recall reading that Kumogakure has techniques that are in English or something? Ehhh, my memory is failing me right now, but yeah…English be a thing. It's used to separate civilians and shinobi. It's basically code for shinobi.

And the whole, "Jounin having to be fluent in English" just comes from, once again, Gai's "DYNAMIC ENTRY!" Yeah, blame him for that. I just needed a reason to explain Gai…ahaha.

Genin Reserves are a thing, which usually puts graduates in reserve in case there isn't a team ready for them to be placed on. Usually meant to counter the problem of uneven graduates, like, say for once instance, only one person out of the entire class managed to graduate. You can't create a team out of that one person, so you just put that person on reserve until an actual team can be made.

Sakura is like six-years-old and is already training to become a medic-nin. Just because she's started training won't mean she won't make it to Genin…no, it just means Sakura will already have medic-nin training by the time she makes Genin, thus making her an _extremely_ valuable member to her future team…and I honestly like the sound of that. Honestly, I like the way Sakura is developing, here.

Shisui and Naruto are close, Anko made an appearance in this chapter, Hanabi said her first word, and Chōko (like me) can't do math sometimes. Remember how she said that two years wasn't a lot? That was supposed to have been three, so that's one extra year Chōko has, but it still isn't a lot of time…and even then, remember how things eventually even out? More time might be even worse, if you think about it.

So I hope nothing was too confusing, because the entire English thing took me some time to think out, like seriously. I'm honestly proud that I'm at least trying to tackle it.

Now before I give a shout out to reviewer #40, I'd like to say something to reviewer **pseudo41**, who I was unable to reply to because they had disabled their PMs. You can choose to skip it if you wish (just follow the line break) or read it at your own discretion.

* * *

><p><strong>pseudo41's <strong>review on chapter 4 reads:

_Must your character bitch and moan so much? It's been three chapters of nonstop complaining. And her fixation on her fast metabolism is either incredibly overblown or must be chakra-magic related to avoid simple conservation of energy. It seems like such a waste to have a well written and novel premise focus on such a whiny repetative character._

I won't lie…Chōko is a whiny character who complains a lot, but there _is_ a better way to word that instead of saying, "bitch and moan"…I'm not mad, I'm just saying that it could have been worded better. And I know that she was repetitive at the beginning, but now…it's been a while since Chōko has complained about her fast-metabolism and part of the reason for it is because she has friends. She is preoccupied instead of having nothing to do.

Of course, this review reply might be a waste of time since I doubt they've even made it this far into fic, but I just want to put this up here…just in case. Again, I'm not mad, I just wanted to put it out there, just in case.

AS for another reviewer, this time, a guest reviewer…again, I'm not mad, but I DO want to put some attention to this. Their review on chapter 1 reads:

_first persons not a very good choice when for readers it's a make or break pov and si are given a rough time especially when you went with the drap olf death birth childhood play by play. show not tell is the most common piece of advice but the one most fanfic authors could stand to learn is if it isn't relevant skip it._

Part of the reason I picked first-person is because of Chōko's ADHD. It's pretty damn difficult to portray it outside of first-person. And, to be honest, I don't really care about the "make or break" thing involving POV. I don't really get it, to be honest. I just want to write this story because I'm having fun and it keeps me writing (it also eases the stress of college). Now the whole "Show, not tell" is something I might have issues with…THAT, I understand…I try to avoid it, but…it would be nice if I was told _where_ exactly I was telling and not showing instead of just mentioning it. It would've have been helpful.

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><p>That aside, shout out to <strong>Mirae Desciderium<strong> for being reviewer #40! And to everyone else who reviewed, thank you so much! I really appreciate it!

I guess that's it for now…I apologize for the length A/N, but I just wanted to get some things out. Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Until next time, everyone! KD out! XD


	16. Still Waters

A/N **You can skip this beginning A/N. If not, read on.**

I apologize for the sudden A/N at the start of the chapter, but I need to make something clear right now. About a week back or so, I got an anonymous reviewer who was quite rude and said they were amazed I haven't been kicked out of any of my university classes for some of the stupid shit I said…oh, and I got called Tourette's girl…and Chōko was called whiny (I have ALREADY established that, so whatever).

Moving on, I'm gonna say it right now. I have ADHD. Akimichi Chōko has ADHD. We both have ADHD. The subtype of ADHD we both have is the Combined hyperactive-impulsive and inattentive. I do NOT have Tourette's, nor does Chōko. Now Tourette's may be common in the ADHD population, but I can guarantee that I do NOT have it. Trust me, I would _know_, because I have been having to deal with getting information on it for the past two years so I could hand it over to my university's Services for Students with Disabilities (SSD). ADHD isn't a learning disability, but it DOES follow the requirements that qualified me for getting extra time on exams, recording lectures, and having a note-taker.

Now I'm wondering why someone would mistake me for a person with Tourette's and, as far as I know, I think I've been stereotyped because of one little symptom that comes from my ADHD…the impulsivity part of it, that is.

Some of the symptoms for an individual with impulsivity are, as followed:

1. Be very impatient

2.** Blurt out inappropriate comments, show their emotions without restraint, and act without regard for consequences**

3. Have difficulty waiting for things they want or waiting their turns in games

4. Often interrupt conversations or others' activities

Note the symptoms that are bold… Tourette's syndrome deals with involuntary facial, motor, and verbal tics. ADHD is not that…I hope everyone understands. I just…had to do this.

* * *

><p>…<p>

The last few months of classes, both kunoichi and regular, weren't too noteworthy. Most of it was just review—kunoichi classes especially. We were eventually let out of the Academy for spring vacation, thus marking the end of another school year.

Hanabi's first birthday was spent with all of us _somehow_ sneaking the one-year-old out of the Hyuuga compound for a day out in Konoha. Itachi and Shisui were absent, the two probably on a mission or something, which was usually the reason they were absent from our group. Now that I think about it, they've been absent a lot as of lately…but I digress.

Anyways, with Itachi and Shisui absent, the fact that we managed to sneak Hanabi out of the Hyuuga compound without anyone noticing us is quite the achievement. Oh man, we are _so_ getting in trouble after this! Neji is certainly panicking about it, but Hinata is being the reassuring cousin and telling him everything is going to be fine.

I have honestly never been so amused to seeing Hinata being the calm one and Neji being the complete opposite. Oh how the tables have turned! Man, I wish Itachi were here to see this. He'd get a kick out of this.

…

I should have expected something to change within our lives in response to Itachi and Shisui's constant absences. For the most part, they were present whenever any one of our birthdays came up, with the exception of Itachi missing his own birthday (and Shisui being suspiciously absent as well). The two were at least present on Kiba's seventh birthday, which will forever be the day that Shisui would not stop teasing the Inuzuka about being seven on the seventh day of the seventh month, which is Tanabata (meaning "evening of the seventh"). And thus, the nickname, Nanazuka, was born.

Birthdays aside, Shisui always made sure to use any of his spare time to help us train when the Academy started teaching us how to use our chakra. The same went with Itachi, who started giving me tips on shurikenjutsu, as Sasuke continued to struggle improving his Goukakyuu. Shisui was usually helping Naruto, who was having trouble with chakra control exercises. This was usually how our days were spent, as Shisui and Itachi weren't the only ones who were absent.

Hinata and Neji now had their own training regimen to focus on, as did Shino, Kiba, Shikamaru, and Chōji. Why Chōji and I had separate training regimen (or lack thereof, in my case) can easily be summed up as me being barred from learning our clan's techniques. You can thank my fast metabolism for that, but I don't really mind. I'm _muuuch_ more interested in shurikenjutsu…

Still, it does kinda feel lonely without Chōji around…I can say the same thing for the rest of my absent friends. I guess that's the price of being friends with clan children. I'm honestly surprised that the Uchiha don't have their own training regimen—then again, Fugaku has been paying more and more attention on Itachi as of lately. How I even know this is all thanks to Sasuke voicing his complaints to Naruto and me. Ha, it's rather sad how our circle of friends now has a tendency to turn into a trio or a quintet (should Shisui and Itachi be present) after classes.

Any free time we all had together was now spent at Naruto's place, even if it was only for homework. Naruto's place had turned into a refuge for all of us, considering his place was the only place we had where we were far from our clans' presence. We…usually found ourselves waking up the next day, piled up on Naruto's bed. At least Naruto's apartment was always clean, as a result of our continuous visits…

And on Sasuke's seventh birthday, we all booked it to Naruto's place, with little Hanabi in hand. I'm honestly amazed at how often we could all sneak past the adults without them noticing. Of course, this time around, Shisui and Itachi were around and, all I can say, the two are _definitely_ now in ANBU. Itachi is now twelve, and his and Shisui's absences were often enough to fit the criteria…I'm not too sure about the absences, but Itachi's age does say a lot.

Shisui was fast asleep on Naruto's bed, with a sleeping Hanabi in his arms. Itachi was trying to keep a watchful eye on all of us, as we all just laid on the floor, with our gaze focused on the ceiling. We were honestly exhausted… Itachi says that this was a typical reaction to learning how to use chakra.

Neji and Hinata were tired for different reasons that involve their clan's kekkei genkai and the training that came along with it. And Shisui and Itachi are probably in the process of getting used to the ANBU life. Again, Itachi is twelve.

Within an hour, we all ended up falling asleep. We woke up late in the evening. By then, a search team had been sent out to look for us, due to our unexplained absence…or so we were told. The search team was called off when an anonymous source confirmed our location at Naruto's apartment. The fact that said source explicitly mentioned that we were all asleep certainly implied something…and what exactly would that be?

It basically implied that someone was keeping tabs on all of us. It was a pretty freaky thought, but then I found myself looking at Naruto and then at Shisui and Itachi. It took me a couple of minutes to put two and two together before realizing that the anonymous source was someone from ANBU, who had been tasked with watching over Naruto (why else would they be there?). It's honestly the only explanation I can even consider that sounds valid.

That aside, none of us got into any trouble (_somehow_) and once the Academy let us out for summer vacation, training regimens were loosened for our usually absent friends (Hinata, Neji, Chōji, Shikamaru, Kiba, and Shino), and Shisui and Itachi were often present, instead of absent… I have a feeling the Sandaime must have heard about our sleeping escapades during Sasuke's birthday…

It's nice to see that everyone understands the concept of stress and exhaustion. I'm honestly amazed that Hiashi decided to give Neji and Hinata a break…guess this is his way of showing how much he cares for his daughter and nephew. I think that's cute.

…

On the day of the summer festival, the thought of our little friend in the shadows (what I like to refer to the ANBU watching over Naruto as) following us as we sat down on the Hyuuga compound veranda to watch the fireworks crossed my mind. I know the ANBU was just doing their job, but still, it's kinda unnerving to know that someone is watching you in the dark. Just, ugh…I wish I hadn't even thought that.

"Is something wrong, Chōko-san?" Neji seems to have noticed my distress.

"Do you ever get the feeling you're being watched?" It's honestly a question I've always wondered…

"Oh, you've noticed him too, huh?" Naruto, I was not expecting you to say that.

"Wh-What do you mean by that, Naruto-kun?" Hinata asked, somewhat nervously.

Naruto laughed awkwardly as he rubbed the back of his head. "Well, a while back, I saw this guy sneaking around my place while I was watering the plants. I don't know who he is, but ever since that day, I've noticed that he's been following me. I don't know why, though…"

"How long has this been occurring?" Shino asked.

Naruto tilted his head to the side. "Hell if I know…I just noticed him recently. I tried talking to him, but he likes to pretend he's not there, even though I know he's THERE, DATTEBAYO!"

Naruto's voice echoed as he looked throughout the Hyuuga compound courtyard. He was probably looking for our little friend in the shadows. I'm actually wondering why I haven't done so either.

"That's creepy," Sasuke remarked. "Nii-san, should we be scared?"

"No." Itachi shook his head. "There is no need to be alarmed."

"It's probably someone just looking out for you, Naruto." Shisui grinned as he reached over to ruffle Naruto's hair. "You're _that_ important, you know."

"Shisui-nii!" Naruto laughed and tackled Shisui into a hug.

I can't help but smile as I look at these two. Unlike last year, we didn't fall asleep, so we actually got to watch the fireworks together. It was just as breathtaking as before. I don't know why, but I can never tire of watching the colorful sparks light up the night sky.

…

And like the years before, summer vacation eventually came to an end. Classes began again at the Academy and the days went by as usual, with Shikamaru's seventh birthday coming and going. Naruto's seventh birthday was held at the Uchiha compound once more and was forever commemorated by Shisui's gift in the form of a book called, _Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi_. When I first saw the title, I found it familiar, but I didn't know why…then Shisui made a comment.

"I found this while I was at the bookstore and while I was skimming through the pages, I came across a character who reminded me of you!" Shisui grinned at Naruto.

It was at this moment that I realized that Shisui just gave Naruto the first book that Jiraiya, one of Konohagakure's legendary Sannin, ever wrote. Said book was also the origin point of where Naruto got his name from his parents and how Jiraiya ended up as his godfather. I'm…honestly overwhelmed with how this ended up happening. Geez fricken' Louise, Shisui, just…wow.

Naruto was very much tempted to read the book, but then he looked at Shisui and asked, "Can you read it to us, Shisui-nii?"

Shisui blinked and rubbed the back of his head. "Well…only one chapter, okay?"

And that was how story time with Shisui became a thing. I had a nostalgia wham when Shisui told us to gather around in a circle for story time. I just couldn't help but recall my high school band teacher who would usually tell the entire class during a football game to gather up for "story time" in order to tell us the plan before our half-time show. I miss my past life sometimes…

Still, it was nice being able to have moments like these in this life. Just seeing Naruto smile as Shisui started reading the _Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi_, with his own flair… Shisui is seriously a dork, but he's a good person. And even though they weren't related by blood, Shisui was the best brother he could ever be to Naruto…and to the rest of us, as much as we'd like to deny.

When Shisui turned fifteen a few days later, he pulled the same crap as he did last year…except, this time, Iruka-sensei anticipated it and had Shisui join us for a class presentation. It was a pretty fun presentation and Shisui seemed to enjoy it…even if his forehead _did_ get pelted with chalk (courtesy of Iruka-sensei).

"Best. Birthday. Ever!" Shisui told us moments before he commenced story time. We certainly had a laugh about that. Naruto sure did…

…

Sometimes, Shisui wasn't always able to read to us, as story time was only once a week (with the exception of his birthday week, where he read to us twice) and was limited to one chapter a session. Shisui and Itachi were in ANBU, and with classes and training regimens in the way… Time just had to be prioritized. At least we weren't as exhausted as we had been before summer vacation.

Our bodies, by then, have grown used to using chakra…to an extent. It was just to the point where we weren't so exhausted and prone to falling asleep on Naruto's bed, as we had done in the month before we were let out for summer vacation. That still doesn't mean we stopped doing that. Our families had just grown used to hearing from an anonymous source about our sleeping escapades (I assume, considering the lack of comments I hear from Mama nowadays). Seriously, though, who the hell is it that is watching over Naruto?

When Iruka-sensei started introducing us to traps, you can bet that Naruto was quick to use them to try and catch our little friend in the shadows. He tried using ramen as bait…only to later find the bowl of ramen empty and the trap dismantled. Naruto was _sooo_ pissed, but it only confirmed that there _was_ someone watching over us, so joke's on _that_ punk!

Still, our little friend in the shadows is one smart motherfucker…with a sense of humor. He didn't have to dismantle the trap and eat the ramen, but he did. I wonder if Shisui is going to get in on this…

…

In mid-November, we spent an afternoon at the Hyuuga compound, with Shisui gathering a pile of fallen leaves while the rest of us wrapped sweet potatoes in tinfoil. We were going to be making a fire with the pile of fallen leaves and using it to bake the sweet potatoes we had. There's nothing like bonding with friends over baked sweet potatoes.

When Itachi was going to use the Goukakyuu to light the pile of leaves on fire, Sasuke decided he wanted to do it and Itachi, being the best brother he could ever be, allowed him to do so. Sasuke was smiling so widely that I was surprise it wasn't hurting his face. Much like the previous times, Sasuke's Goukakyuu was still weak, but it was definitely stronger than before.

Sometime later, as Chōji, Kiba, Neji, Sasuke, Shikamaru, Shino, and I each ate our own baked sweet potato, we watched Naruto try and help Hinata get her own baked sweet potato from the burning pile of leaves. It was pretty entertaining to watch, especially since Naruto had a hard time taking a baked sweet potato out of the pile. Shisui decided to help out Naruto and was the one who gave Hinata her baked sweet potato. As Naruto pouted at Shisui, Hinata laughed and decided to pat Naruto on the head…for trying. This caused Naruto to blush, his face turning even redder when Shisui started teasing him.

When Hinata started laughing, Naruto had no idea how to react and started poking at a random potato in the leaf pile with a stick. His excuse for doing so was that he was trying to see if the other potatoes were ready. Yeah, you were totally trying to hide your face from Hinata, you shy little boy…

…

On the eve of Hinata's seventh birthday, Shisui and Naruto managed to catch us an ANBU member with a mask that resembled what I believe to be a dog. All I can say…is our little friend in the shadows was _pissed_, and Shisui and Naruto were just laughing their asses off. Kiba, Sasuke, and I were laughing just as hard, Shikamaru, Chōji, Shino, and Neji were shocked, Hinata was trying to stifle her laugher, and Itachi was staring. I could only assume that our little friend in the shadows was going to give Shisui and Itachi _hell_ for this little incident.

And on that day, our little friend in the shadows joined us for story time with Shisui. Once story time was over, Itachi did our little friend a favor and freed him from his bindings. Almost immediately after being freed, the ANBU glared at us…or tried to, what with his mask obscuring whatever emotion he had on his face (should he even be showing any emotion), before dashing off…and possibly continuing his job of watching over Naruto from the shadows. That was certainly the highlight of our day.

Come the next day at the Hyuuga compound, Shisui took us out for dango…right after sneaking all of us out of the Hyuuga compound with, once again, little Hanabi in tow. The funny thing that happened this time around was that Hanabi was _ready_ to sneak out of the Hyuuga compound. She just latched herself onto Shisui's leg and stayed there until we were out of the compound. It was rather hilarious, seeing Shisui walk with Hanabi on his leg.

"You sure are enjoying this, aren't ya, Hana-chan?" Shisui said as he held up Hanabi.

"Shi-nii!" was all Hanabi said in response as she placed her hands on Shisui's cheeks.

Shisui laughed and looked at Itachi. "Look at me, I'm a chick magnet!"

"Yeah, you're a _real_ ladies' man!" This time, I _totally_ meant what I said. Sarcasm included.

"Aww, are you jealous that I'm giving my attention to Hana-chan?" Shisui grinned at me. "C'mere, I'll give you a hug!"

Sure, I'll take the hug…I like hugs. They make me feel all warm and fuzzy inside for some reason. And, coming from Shisui, it's like getting a hug from my older brother… Again, I do miss my past life, but I'm also quite fine with my new life. It's moments like these that make me appreciate what I have, instead of taking them for granted, as I would have in the past…

…

The New Year came and went, as did winter vacation. Iruka-sensei continued teaching us about traps, kunoichi classes were still a thing (pretty much nothing but thorough review on past subjects), and Shisui and Itachi were busy being in ANBU (story time with Shisui was less often, damn you, Sarutobi, for that). Then Shino's eighth birthday came up and I started to worry.

We were turning eight this year…and Itachi was turning thirteen. Either Itachi would be promoted to ANBU captain by then or he _has_ already been promoted ANBU captain…I really hate having to make assumptions, but that's all I can really do at this point. And, unless a deviation has occurred, then by the end of this year, Sasuke would lose his entire clan, Shisui would be dead, and Itachi would be labeled a traitor, thus forever setting off a chain of events that would basically cement Sasuke's inferiority-complex, which did a lot more harm to _everyone_ as it did harm to him. Seriously, a lot of these things happen because people _fail_ to **talk**.

God dammit, I _refuse_ to let this become another _Frankenstein_ fiasco where everything happened because the fricken' doctor refused to tell anyone about the Creature—I totally need to stop being a nerd and I'm honestly amazed I can remember all of that shit. Seriously, though, I have enough experience with this shit, thanks to my freaking English classes, that I do NOT wish to live through it. It's bad enough reading about it and analyzing it, but actually _living_ it? Like, _no_—bad times…

Still, it _really_ fucking sucks when you really can't do anything about it. It's just like the Kyuubi attack, when I was only five months old… So many people died, and yet there was not a damn thing I could even do about it. The only difference this time is that there is still a chance it won't happen…but the knowledge whether or not it will happen is something I don't have. And it's just eating away at me, knowing what could happen…but not knowing whether it _will_ happen.

It's a sickening feeling that lingers…it's not pleasant, and it just keeps getting worse the more I think about it.

"Are you okay, Chōko-san?" Neji, why is it that whenever I'm distressed or anything, you're the first person to ask? You know what—forget it!

"I'm fine…" Might as well put up a façade—it's all I have ever been good at in the past. Hiding troubles behind a smile and laughter…ahaha, I think this is the first time in this life that I have actually ever done this. It feels…weird…

"You're hiding…" Oh fuck it all, Neji, leave me alone!

"Ch-Chōko-chan, you're crying…" No, I am not, Hinata—dammit, I _am_!

"I just…got something in my eye!" Please don't let my lie be _that_ terrible! Dammit, tears, go away!

"Chōko-san, why must you lie?" Shino, please stop…I'm like moments away from ruining your eighth birthday.

"If you need to cry, then cry!" Sasuke exclaimed.

Sasuke—ugh, you're making it _worse_! "I don't _need_ to cry!"

"Is someone crying?" Oh god, no, Shisui—nothing is wrong! Just have something in my eye, pay no attention to the Akimichi with a fast-metabolism!

"Shisui-nii!" Naruto whined. "Chōko-chan is crying-ttebayo!"

Naruto, you two-timing jerk, I will _wound_ you for that! "H-Hey—put me down!"

"Aww, does Chō-chan need a hug?" Shisui said as he squeezed me tightly. "There, there, Shisui-nii is here for you!"

Shisui, you stupid dork, _you_—ugh, I can't take this anymore. It's too much…I found myself returning Shisui's hug as I started crying hard. The thought that I could potentially lose this dork…_why_ does it have to come to this? _Why_?

"Are you feeling better?" Shisui decided to ask me.

"Shisui…" I sniffed. "Please don't die…"

"Huh?" Shisui seemed rather confused about my request…but then chuckled. "Is that what you're worried about? Did you have a nightmare about me or something?"

Nightmare? Try a potential future…I guess there's no actual difference, then. "Uh-huh…"

"Well, don't worry!" Shisui said reassuringly. "I won't die! It will be a long time before this guy right here kicks the bucket! I can promise you that!"

"Unfortunately," Itachi said dryly.

"Oi! I heard that!" Shisui snapped. "You too, Itachi…don't die so easily."

"I won't…" Itachi sighed. "Can we please stop talking about death?"

"Only if you liven up!" Oh, that was _horrible_, Shisui! "Hey, you're laughing!"

Dammit, I am! "S-Shut up—heheheh…"

Why am I a sucker for bad puns? I usually groan at these, but…coming from Shisui—I just don't know…

"That's good, that's good!" Shisui exclaimed. "You've stopped crying! Are you feeling better now, Chō-chan?"

I sniffed again before taking off my glasses to rub my eyes. "I…think so…"

"You worry me, sometimes," Shikamaru sighed. "How troublesome…"

I turned my head to Shikamaru and stuck my tongue out at him. Chōji started laughing at this, with Kiba making a comment that a leader shouldn't make their friends worry. I immediately denied that I was leader. It was almost automatic…which was why everyone started laughing. I felt my cheeks heat up as I realized that Kiba said that on purpose in order to provoke me. The jerk…still, I couldn't help but smile. Even after these three past years that I've been denying it, these guys really do trust me…

Maybe I should stop denying it, then…

…

…

I felt better after that day, the feeling that's been eating away at me having disappeared. Classes at the Academy, both regular and kunoichi, have kept me distracted, as did the time I spent with my friends. It also helped that I've been watching over Ino and Sakura, as well as Ami and her friends.

Ami, Fuki, and Kasumi have been picking up the pace. I've heard people talking, instructors and students alike, as well as people outside of the Academy, saying that they're at the top of their class. It really says a lot when even people outside of the Academy are talking about girls like Ami, Fuki, and Kasumi. Neither of them belongs to anyone noteworthy. They're just normal girls with dreams they wish to fulfill.

As for Ino and Sakura, Sakura was still showing a lot of progress with her medic-nin training and her friendship with Ino was strong as ever. It definitely showed when Ino liked to drop by our circle of friends to glomp Sasuke and Sakura would just usually follow after her and drag her away, apologizing for Ino, if she happened to interrupt us. Ino was usually laughing, telling Sakura to lighten up, before blowing a kiss to Sasuke and leaving.

Sasuke didn't really appreciate Ino's affections, nor did he like the other girls who kept trying to catch his attention. When kunoichi classes brought us back to cooking, Sasuke found himself being offered homemade bento from female students. He refused them, because he was already busy eating the food from my bento box…even though he already had his own bento his mother made him.

I swear, as if my long hair wasn't enough, the bento box made my situation worse. I swear I do _not_ like Sasuke in that way! Hell no, we're practically siblings at this point! Course, jealous little girls don't seem to understand the concept of a boy and a girl just being friends…Thinking about it now, it's still a concept people can't seem to understand.

Even my own mother from my past life couldn't get over the fact that the majority of my friends were guys. Eventually, she just stopped fussing over it with me, but I still knew it bothered her. At least Mama, here, doesn't really mind…come to think of it, I'm surprised Hiashi is taking rather well to the fact that the majority of his oldest daughter's friends are male. I have to give some kudos to Hiashi, for trying to be a little more open-minded.

Of course, it could be because of me…though, that does make me Hinata's only female friend, and vice versa… I'm just happy I have friends, regardless of gender.

…

Our third year at the Academy came to an end, and with that, I couldn't help but realize…three years have already passed. Just, wow…I never thought so much could happen in such a short amount of time. It honestly felt longer than just three years… And in just four more years, graduation from the Academy will occur. Four…ahaha, isn't there this whole association with death going on with the number?

Shisui is also turning sixteen this year, and four times four is sixteen…that's just real cruel, irony? Can you really give a person a break? I doubt it…

One thing I'm starting to appreciate with Shisui is that, since he joined our circle of friends, he's made it a habit to take us out to have a group photo taken of us ever few months or so, usually during or after an event. Shisui made it a habit of getting us together for last year's Tanabata and summer festival. We have group photos of those events, but Shisui likes to keep them for himself. He always does…

On the day Chōji and I turned eight years old, a month into our fourth year at the Academy, Shisui brought a photo album with him and showed us the photographs that were inside. Each and every group photo we have ever taken was inside the album, from our very first group photo, which was during a Hanami picnic we had just a month before Chōji and I turned six years old, to the most recent one, which now included a two-year-old Hanabi into the mix. The photographs were very neatly organized and dated, with little comments given to each photo. One could tell that Shisui put a lot of consideration and care into the photo album.

"Inside people's memories, we can live forever," Shisui said as he continued showing us the photo album. "That's why these photos exist…so that these moments can live forever with us."

"So what does it mean to actually die?" Naruto asked.

Shisui chuckled. "To be forgotten is when one truly does die."

…

"You've been reading the Hokage's philosophy books again, haven't you?" Itachi suddenly remarked.

Shisui huffed. "Oh, shut up, Itachi. I don't see _you_ doing anything, unlike me."

"So we're basically immortal until the day someone forgets about us…" To be forgotten does seem to be a scary thing, when you think about it that way.

"Right you are, Chō-chan!" Shisui grinned. "That's why you guys have to make sure no one ever forgets about you. Even the tiniest of memories can do a lot."

On that day, we all learned something important from Shisui…and I doubt we'll ever forget what happen on that day. I hope Shisui's happy, knowing that he will never be forgotten…

…

…

Come next month, Itachi turned thirteen. We spent the day at the Uchiha compound dojo, training, while the adults talked amongst themselves in their usual room. Itachi continued helping Sasuke out with his Goukakyuu, while Shisui focused on Naruto. Neji and Hinata were already introducing Hanabi to some of their clan's techniques and it was quite adorable to see little two-year-old Hanabi trying her best to mimic her older sister and cousin.

Chōji and I were sparring, with Kiba, Shikamaru, and Shino watching over our sparring match. I'm no expert or anything, but my taijutsu is definitely better than my twin brother's is. Of course, with the Akimichi clan techniques that he knows, he could probably hit much harder than I could ever hit, but he has that advantage. I just have better technique…and agility.

Seriously, though, no one likes having me as an opponent during sparring. One thing I'd like to mention is that I have finally made through a whole year without breaking a door. I finally figured out how to control my own strength. I need to be careful, though…I think my emotions could still very much get the best of me. Despite that, I'm quite glad I've gotten past my door breaking habit. I'm one step closer to escaping my Potato Girl fate.

It was a pretty good day, overall.

…

In July, four days before Kiba's eighth birthday on Tanabata, Neji turned nine years old. Neji finally told us when his birthday was, so on that day, Shisui took us out to an Akimichi clan restaurant to treat Neji to his favorite meal, herring soba. Hinata was willing to say a few things Neji had yet to tell any of us, so Neji was rather surprised to see that we knew what his favorite foods were.

All I know is that, after that day, I finally realized why Neji always gave me his spicy food…it was because he had little to no tolerance for it. I was probably the only one in our circle of friends who liked spicy food (at least, to _my_ extent). By now, I have designated memories of my past life with spicy food.

I have my limits, but I do enjoy the nostalgia I get whenever I eat particularly spicy food. The days I would usually add jalapeños to my food (because my food was never spicy enough sometimes or I just wanted to add some spice to it), as my father would, with my mom commenting on that I was going to "enchilar" myself. Fast-forward to me downing a glass of milk because I did just that. Yeah, capsaicin does that to you…

Sometimes, I get the idea of recreating the food I had in my past life, but I don't trust myself just yet to do so. Mama says my cooking is great, but she also does say that there is still more room for improvement. One of these days, I'll try making one of my favorite home-cooked meals my mother made for me…just not now. I hope I can find the right ingredients for it…

…

Three days later, Hinata and I found ourselves being dragged alongside Naruto and Sasuke, with Neji, Shisui, and Itachi nearby, by Mikoto for yukata shopping. I did not want this…_nope_. I'm not even sure how Mikoto found out that Hinata and I outgrew our yukata, but I'm guessing Sasuke might have said _something_ to his mother. And now, here I am, with Hinata, trying on many colorful yukata.

"I think the lilac-colored one looks nice…what do you think, Chōko-chan?" Mikoto asked me as we looked over the lilac-colored yukata Hinata wore. The obi was light shade of pink and the yukata had a floral print to it…it was cute.

"Love it." In fact, I want it…but Hinata got to it first.

"And Hina-chan's got herself a yukata!" Shisui always loved to make his presence known. "How about you, Chō-chan? How you doing, doll?"

"Don't start." This is the fifteenth yukata I have tried on and I swear, if this isn't the one that looks good, then I have to try on a yellow yukata with a paper fan print and a blue obi. It's not that I don't like it. I think it's nice, but…it's _not_ for me. And Shisui keeps trying to get me in a butterfly print yukata, which I think looks cute, but Mikoto said no.

Neji was the one who picked out the pale rose yukata I am currently wearing. It had a yellow obi and a sakura pattern print. Normally, I'm against the pattern for reasons of how overused it is (you would _not_ believe how popular it is), but this pattern was tame. It was speckled in areas instead of everywhere. I just…I like it.

Still, _Neji_ was the one who picked it and I…don't even want to know. The image of this Hyuuga picking out a yukata for me is a little mind-boggling—why did he even do it?

…

I'm guessing he's just as tired as I am because yukata…yukata _everywhere_. Itachi was the one who picked out Hinata's current yukata. And Sasuke and Naruto…they're currently asleep, with Sasuke being carried on Itachi's back and Naruto on Shisui's back. The lucky punks…the exact moment they got their yukata, they just conked out. Which was like an hour ago.

Please, Mikoto, tell me that Hinata and I are done. I am good with this yukata—Hinata looks cute. What more could you want, woman?!

"Are you sure, Chōko-chan?" Mikoto looked questioningly at me. "Is this what you want?"

"Yes!" Oh my god, just let it _end_!

"Mikoto-san, I think Chō-chan's had enough." _Thank you_, Shisui, for noticing. "Besides, Chō-chan and Hina-chan are _adorable_."

"Yes, yes, we're adorable…can someone get me some dango?" Or any food—I'm hungry.

"Shisui-nii, can we get ramen?" Oh, looks like Naruto just woke up.

Shisui chuckled and patted Naruto on the head. "Yeah, Ichiraku Ramen does sound good just about now…do you think you can handle the yukata, Mikoto-san?"

Mikoto just looked at all of us and sighed. "You can go ahead and take them—right after Chōko-chan and Hinata-chan change out of their yukata."

And I am _out_! If anyone needs me, I'll be in the changing room.

…

…

The next day, during the evening, Sasuke, Naruto, Hinata, and I were breaking in our new yukata. Shisui made sure to commemorate the event by using his brand new camera. Yeah, guess who just bought the latest model? Course, the latest model looks like a camera from the 1950's, but in the world of Naruto, that's pretty advanced. Just…don't talk to me about how technology works here. It's either here, or it's not…like refrigerators! And toasters…and blenders…but no TV (as far as I know, we definitely don't have one here and I haven't seen any around). Like I said, it's either here, or not.

_Flash!_

Did I mention how picture-taking-happy Shisui is with his camera? Because he's _certainly_ throwing the flash around, and it got even worse when the rest of our friends showed up, I mean, Shisui was just ecstatic. It's as if the guy never did this before—oh, right.

Moving back to Shisui being as happy as a _Fatal Frame_ protagonist is with the best type of film, a very dark and horrifying background with an angry, aggressive ghost, and the Camera Obscura, he's taking picture of every little thing that catches his eye (mostly us being cute, as he puts it). It's…pretty annoying and Itachi just finished pushing the camera out of his face, seconds after Shisui took a picture of him.

"Shisui, if you do not get that contraption out of my face, I will break it!" Ooh, weasel mad, weasel _mad_!

"Sorry, I'm just…happy!" Shisui was grinning widely. "I've been saving up to buy a camera for a while now, and just…give me a moment."

I know that feel. I totally know that feel, except it involves an animated movie about a boy and his huggable robot and a six-month wait, scrounging around for whatever information existed at the time involving it. Thinking of it now, I'm quite happy I got to see the movie before I died…oh god, the wait was _so_ worth it and just…there's one less regret I have.

"At least now, we can continue making more and more memories together!" Shisui was probably going to have a lot more pictures to add into his album, dates and quirky comments included.

From Neji winning Hanabi a goldfish, to me smacking a sticker onto his forehead for being a good sport as Hinata laughed, to Sasuke and Naruto competing against each other in katanuki, Shisui had a pretty interesting run. Then Kiba and Chōji had a contest over who can eat the most takoyaki (good luck trying, Kiba) with Shino and Shikamaru observing and right after taking those pictures, Shisui started showing Naruto how to use the camera. Naruto was a fast learner and, soon, was taking pictures of Shisui, who was currently cleaning the cotton candy off of Hinata's face. Sometime later, Naruto managed to take a picture of Itachi slapping Shisui upside the head for making a "weasel" remark. Apparently, Shisui still finds it funny how five-year-old me, told Itachi that he looked like a weasel.

By the time the last event came out, Shisui was nearly out of film. He at least managed to take a picture of this year's Orihime and Hikoboshi, who were, amusingly enough, Yūhi Kurenai and Sarutobi Asuma. Dear god, those two were completely awkward—was this how these two got together? Ha, that'd be funny…unless those two lovebirds are already a couple—oh _scandalous_! There's one official couple in the making. Go them.

Back with us, Shisui managed to get a kind, random stranger with silver hair to take a photo of us. With that done, Shisui was completely out of film…and very happy about it.

"I can't wait to show you the album after this—especially you, Nanazuka!" Shisui laughed as Kiba scowled at him. "I hope you had a good eighth birthday today…and I hope everyone had a good Tanabata overall."

"Yeah, I can't wait for next year, dattebayo!" Naruto exclaimed. "Shisui-nii, hey, hey—what did you wish for?"

"Oh, I wished for more time with my cute, little otouto," Shisui said as he ruffled Naruto's hair. "What about you, Fishcake?"

Ahh, fishcake…you'd be surprise as to what affectionate little nickname Shisui gave Naruto. Anyways, isn't naruto a fishcake in ramen or what? I dunno, I usually just associate the name with the spiky-haired blond and everyone's favorite main character in the _Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi_…we're almost done with that story, by the way.

One more chapter to go—Jiraiya is a real good writer, like…seriously. I'm honestly serious about looking into more of his stories—oh, right…forgot that he writes porn. Oh my god, I doubt I'll ever bring myself to read it in the same way Kakashi does—and I'm pretty sure that guy who took our pictures was just him…what's he doing out in the open, anyways?

That aside, we all had a good walk back home, with Shisui making it his personal mission to escort each and every one of us home. The last I saw before Chōji and I disappeared home, was Shisui carrying a sleeping Naruto on his back. Naruto was going to spend the night at the Uchiha compound, according to Shisui…whether or not he was invited.

What a dork…

Unfortunately, that would be the last any of us would ever see or hear from Shisui again.

…

A few days later, Shisui was found in the Naka River…dead.

Chōji and I didn't find out until we were at the Uchiha compound for a surprise visit. Hinata was crying and Neji was trying his hardest not to cry as Hanabi patted Hinata on the back. Shino was visibly distraught, Itachi was comforting Sasuke, who was bawling, Kiba barged into the compound, asking us if the news was true about Shisui's death. It hurt to see Kiba start crying upon hearing the confirmation from Itachi that Shisui was really dead.

Shikamaru later showed up and sat down next to Chōji, who was crying, while I sat there, doing nothing, but staring at the wall. I didn't know how to react. The fact that Shisui was dead just…didn't want to set in.

Then Naruto dropped by for a visit, wondering why everyone was so sad. When he looked around and saw that Shisui was nowhere in sight, he decided to ask a question that got everyone looking at him.

"Where's Shisui-nii?" he asked, so blissfully ignorant, that it _hurt_ knowing what he didn't know.

Sasuke swallowed hard. "Shisui…Shisui's gone…"

"Where to?" Naruto looked questioningly at Sasuke. "Hey, hey—why is everyone crying?"

I want to know why I'm _not_ crying… Shikamaru is at least showing some sort of emotion, meanwhile with me, I'm about as emotionless as Neji was before the Kagome Kagome incident. I still have no idea how to react to losing someone…

A few minutes had passed, but Naruto's question remained unanswered…then Itachi decided to break the news to Naruto. "Naruto…Shisui is dead."

The look of complete disbelief on Naruto's face was heartbreaking. "Dead…? N-No, Shisui-nii can't be dead—he said he wouldn't die-ttebayo! He told Chōko-chan that! He said so in front of all of us, dattebayo."

I felt myself cringe when I recalled the events that had occurred on Shino's eighth birthday. Shisui did say he wouldn't die…but look what happened here. Apparently, it was suicide…Neji wasn't exactly the most tactful person in the world when emotionally hurt. Neji was, in fact, that type of person.

Itachi looked pained as he said, "I apologize, but…Shisui couldn't keep his promise."

"Is that so…?" Naruto choked back a sob. "Why…? Why did he have to die-ttebayo?"

I could see that Itachi was struggling to find an explanation. Neji managed to keep quiet, despite his early tactless demeanor. It was not easy telling Naruto that Shisui had been the one to take his life. And knowing that Itachi was involved…it must really hurt him to see Naruto struggling with the loss of Shisui.

I'm guessing Itachi could have normally acted calmly in canon, but here, where Naruto is around, very much deeply devastated by Shisui's death…Itachi had little to no chance of hiding his true emotions. So when Itachi walked over to Naruto and wrapped his arms around the blond in an embrace, I could hear how shaky his voice was as he told Naruto, "Shisui told me…to protect you, now that he's gone."

"H-He…really _is_ dead, dattebayo?" Naruto knew for a fact that Shisui would never let anyone take his place unless something happened…and this was just that.

"I am sorry." Itachi's voice nearly cracked.

Naruto started crying after that. Sasuke cried harder, as did Hinata, Kiba, and Chōji. Neji couldn't hold back his emotions and started crying as well. Hanabi had no idea what was going on, but being a child around people who were crying, it wasn't a surprise that she did the same. Shino managed to keep his composure, but I could see the tears that were trailing down his cheeks. Shikamaru was surprisingly calm, even though he was like Shino, tears and all.

"It's okay," Shikamaru tried to reassure me. "You don't have to hold it in."

"What do you mean…?" Shikamaru, why are you patting me on the head?

"You're being like the old Neji-san," Shikamaru explained. "Stop holding it in."

"I'm not…" I just have no idea how to react. I mean, I knew this was going to happen…and there's so much more that's going to happen because of this incident. I can't stop anything…this is out of my reach. And worst of all…I made Shisui make a promise he couldn't keep.

My chest is hurting. The more I think about the fact that Shisui is dead, the more I realize he will never be able to talk. He will never be able to laugh or tease any one of us. Or read the last chapter of the book he got Naruto for his seventh birthday… Shisui's wish will never come true…because he ran out of time before he could spend any more of it with Naruto.

My fingers are tingling and my mouth is dry. It feels as if there is something in my throat. And my eyes…they're burning. My vision is blurring because of the tears welding up in my eyes. I took of my glasses and tried to wipe away the tears, but they wouldn't stop.

"Chōko…it's okay." Shikamaru, you're crying, too. "You can cry."

I don't know why, but after hearing Shikamaru say that…I started crying. I cried loud and hard, because the one person we grew attached to—the same one who wormed his way into our hearts—is dead.

…

…

When Itachi tried reading the last chapter of the _Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi_, he had a difficult time doing so because we had already started crying two pages into the chapter. Naruto kept saying that it was Shisui's book, and we all seemed to agree with him. Itachi looked hurt, but he said that Shisui would have wanted him to read the last chapter…now that Shisui was gone.

Itachi persevered and managed to finish the last chapter…by then, Itachi, for the first time in two weeks, started crying. It was weird…seeing Itachi, of all people, crying. Of course, knowing his situation, he had all reasons to cry. Shisui was dead…and I'm pretty sure that was Shisui's left eye in Itachi's left eye socket. It was probably difficult knowing the truth…I definitely know it is.

…

Later into the day, we went to the Uchiha compound to look through Shisui's belongings. As we were looking through his stuff, we came across Shisui's photo album. Naruto was quick to snatch the album out of my hands when I found it. Almost immediately, we circled around Naruto as he opened the album. Looking through the pictures Shisui had so neatly organized and dated, alongside adding a quirky little comment…it was just so strange, knowing the guy is dead.

"I still can't believe it…" I found myself saying.

Hinata nodded her head. "Y-Yeah…"

"Shisui-nii can't be dead-ttebayo!" Naruto insisted. "He said so himself… To be forgotten is when one truly does die, dattebayo!"

Oh, that's right…he did say that.

"And he isn't exactly the most forgettable person around," Chōji said.

Shikamaru sighed. "How troublesome."

"I still miss him calling me, Nanazuka…" Kiba, you really grew attached to that nickname, didn't you?

"I rather not say, but I have grown fond with the attention he has given all of us…" Shino remarked.

"As annoying as he was, it won't be the same without Shisui-san." Aww, Neji, c'mere! "Ch-Chōko-san—what are you doing?!"

"You need a hug!" Since Shisui isn't here anymore, I'm taking over hugs. "I mean, Shisui isn't here anymore to do it…"

Neji stared at me for a moment and sighed as he let me hug him. "Don't get used to it…"

_Smack!_

"I should have expected that…" Neji said, moments after I finished smacking a sticker onto his forehead. Just because I'm mourning doesn't mean I can't neglect my sticker job…speaking of which!

_Smack!_

"Ow!" Sorry, Kiba, didn't mean to do it _that_ hard.

"If you want, Naruto, you can keep the album," Itachi finally spoke. "Shisui left most of his possessions for you."

"Really-ttebayo?!" Naruto was grinning widely. "Awesome!"

It was nice seeing Naruto smiling again…in fact, I was glad that we were all smiling. We really needed this moment…

…

A few days later, during lunch, Naruto was bugging Ino for information about trees. The other day, Naruto told us the ANBU who had been watching over him decided to drop by to personally give him a plant. It was a shion flower plant, by the way, so I'm guessing our little friend in the shadows decided to give his condolences. It was thanks to the ANBU's gift that Naruto got an idea to make sure that Shisui stays with us.

"I read somewhere that if you want to keep a soul in this world, you plant a tree over their grave!" Naruto must have done a lot of reading after getting the plant from our little friend in the shadows. "The tree then absorbs the soul and keeps it in this world. This way, Shisui HAS to stay here!"

For that reason alone, Naruto was trying to find out if it was possible to mix Shisui's ashes with soil and use that to grow a tree. Ino actually said it was possible and that Naruto's idea wasn't the first one she and her family had heard. In fact, they have a side business doing that.

"Of course, since Sasuke-kun is your friend, I'll try to see if I can break you guys a deal!" Ino continued. "Just be patient, okay? Now I gotta go—Sakura is probably looking for me."

"Ino!" That was Sakura. "Are you bugging Sasuke again?!"

Ino giggled and ran off. "Not this time!"

It's nice seeing those two get along…

…

When Naruto introduced the idea to Itachi, Itachi wasn't against it. In fact, he suggested the type of tree to plant for Shisui.

"He always liked magnolias," Itachi remarked. "Now I will try to help, but I cannot promise that we will be able to go through with it. The Uchiha clan might not be as accepting to it."

And they weren't. Naruto was crushed when Itachi told him that Fugaku shot down the idea. We were crushed…I'm pretty sure we were really taken with the idea of Shisui becoming a tree. And Ino just finished getting us the seeds for the tree…

I wonder if we can sneak out Shisui's ashes on Sasuke's eighth birthday…

"We can try!" Sasuke was down with it.

And come Sasuke's eighth birthday, we utterly _failed_ at trying to sneak out the urn carrying Shisui's ashes. We are the _worst_ grave robbers in existence.

"It's not my fault Shikamaru can't make a convincing bird noise," Sasuke muttered.

"Tweet," Shikamaru deadpanned.

"He did say he wouldn't do a good job at it." Chōji sighed.

I face palmed. "He could have just stayed silent instead of ruining it after Kiba made the dog noise and I did the cat noise…"

"Y-You were really good at that, by the way." Thank you, Hinata, and thank you for getting Neji to help you out with watch duty. I still can't believe those two actually went through with the plan and used their Byakugan for it. So much for the prim and proper Hyuuga…we are _such_ bad influences!

"What are we gonna do now?" Kiba asked as he rubbed the back of his head. "We weren't able to get Shisui outta there."

"We could always plan for next time," Shino suggested. "We ought to consider the possibilities and make sure Shikamaru-kun does something other than terrible bird imitations."

…

"Did you just make a joke?!" Oh my god, I think Shino just _did_!

"At least something came out of this, dattebayo!" Nice to see you being optimistic, Naruto. "We just gotta try harder next time!"

Itachi just looked at all of us and sighed. "I'll try and find a day that will work…right after our punishment is over."

Did I mention that we all got grounded? Yes, even Naruto, who is an orphan—of course, at this point, he might as well be part of the Uchiha clan.

"We're all grounded and it's all your fault, Shikamaru!" You just _had_ to botch that bird noise!

"I said I was sorry." And Shikamaru did. "Look, it's only for a week. We'll be out by the time the summer festival comes by. And we're not in trouble until we head back home. At least your mother won't yell at you."

Oh, forgot about Yoshino…yeah…I feel bad for you, now, Shikamaru.

"In the meantime, let's go tell Shisui we're coming back for him later!" I mean, we might as well since we're at the Uchiha compound and their graveyard is nearby…let's just try and put our thoughts away from the fact that we are grounded.

"Let's go get some senbei first!" Sasuke suggested. "Teyaki and Uruchi say since it's my birthday, me and you guys can get free senbei!"

I'm not exactly a fan of senbei (I'll still eat it), but free food is free food. And right after we dropped by Uchiha Senbei to pick up our free senbei from Teyaki and Uruchi, who are quite very lovely people, we paid Shisui's grave a visit. It's still weird knowing that this lively, optimistic teenage boy was dead…but the memories we had of him were still very much alive.

…

After that day, we were all grounded for a week and it was the worst week _ever_. Ageha was going on and on about how wrong it was to try and steal Shisui's ashes and just…ugh. Wanna know what was even worst? It was the first week of summer vacation and just…having so much time, but not being allowed outside—it's the worst! It's even worse when you have ADHD.

I think I read through the medical book at least twice during the week…I was freaking bored! Chōji was just as bored and even started reading along when I was reading through the book a second time. I'm still no expert with all things medical, but I at least have an idea of the vital points on the human body. The knowledge still needs some work…

Once our week of punishment was over, the first thing I did during our reunion was hug Hinata. Chōji and Shikamaru were catching up and Hanabi was calling out to Naruto, who had to pick her up off the ground.

"I missed you so much!" I think I might have abandonment issues in some way or form…

"I m-missed you too, Chōko-chan!" Hinata said as she returned the hug.

"It's only been a week." Neji, don't kill the mood. "You're going to have to get used to it when you become Genin."

"He's right, you know," Itachi agreed.

"I don't want to know that now!" God dammit, I just want to have some quality friendship time, not dreary contemplations about the future! I already go through enough of that shit! Do you have any idea how difficult it is anticipating the Uchiha Clan Massacre?! I have been having nightmares for three days straight! I am exhausted…

I never realized how much my mental health benefited from just seeing Sasuke and Itachi, and knowing that the Uchiha clan has lived to see another day…speaking of which…

"Can I hug you, Itachi-san?" I need to confirm that you are still here, and not labeled a traitor.

"You may…ah!" Itachi gasped when I wrapped my arms around his waist in a near spine-cracking hug. "Can't…breathe…"

"Oops!" I was quick to release Itachi. "Sorry…I just…sorry…"

"So what is it that you suppose we do now?" Shino asked.

"Let's go get some ramen!" Naruto exclaimed. "I haven't had any in the past week I've been living with you guys…"

"How did you like living with us, Naruto?" Sasuke asked Naruto.

Naruto rubbed the back of his head. "It was nice…even though we were being punished…Still, it was nice living with people."

"You're welcome to stay with us anytime you'd like," Itachi said. "Okaa-san told me to tell you that."

"Neat!" Naruto exclaimed. "So can we go get some ramen?"

Kiba nodded his head. "Ramen sounds nice!"

And so we had ramen at Ichiraku Ramen. Teuchi and Ayame were very happy to see us, and we were just happy to get some ramen. It was good to be together again…

…

…

On the night of the summer festival, Naruto decided to do what Shisui did on Tanabata and that was taking pictures of everyone. When Itachi saw that Naruto was having trouble with the camera, he took over as photographer. And while Itachi wasn't as picture-taking-happy as Shisui was, Itachi wasn't going easy on the pictures either.

Since I'm on the subject about Itachi, there was something off about him as of lately. Sometimes, he looks so tired and stressed…but then the next moment, he seems quite fine. It's as if he's trying to hide something. Tonight, he seems to be trying his best to enjoy every little moment with us. At first, I put it down as Itachi trying to cope without Shisui being around…

Then when we all decided to leave early to pay Shisui's grave a visit before going to the Hyuuga compound to watch the fireworks, I found out why Itachi had been acting so differently. Upon making our way through the Uchiha district, we all noticed how eerily quiet it had been. We all thought nothing much about it…

When Sasuke opened the door to his house, with us right behind him, he was midway through greeting his mother and father…but he stopped so suddenly. His body stiffened and he just stayed silent. Naruto asked Sasuke what was wrong and pushed open the other half of the door to see what was wrong. What we saw was something that would forever haunt me and everyone else, for the rest of our lives.

The coppery metallic scent of blood was in the air. It was strange that we only just noticed it now as we stared at the bodies of Uchiha Fugaku and Mikoto that were across from us. Blood pooled out from under their bodies.

I have no idea how long we were staring, but pretty soon, Sasuke started screaming. His screams set off a chain reaction, with the rest of us doing so. Neji and Hinata were quick to shield Hanabi's eyes. Neji wasn't screaming, but he was very well disturbed. Hinata was crying and Shino was staring. Shikamaru was horrified, and whatever food Chōji and I ate was immediately emptied out of our stomachs. Kiba was already having a hard time, what with his sensitive nose. He did say something about it smelling weird, but he still wasn't so used to recognizing the scent of _fresh_ blood…until now.

Naruto was on the verge of having a panic attack. Itachi was trying his best to calm us all down, but he was having a hard time enough as is. Naruto already lost Shisui, and now…he lost everyone else. He and Sasuke…and, Itachi, too—wait…if Itachi was right there with us, then _who_…

That was the last thought I had before my vision went black. When I woke up, I was in the children's ward at the hospital. I was scared, because I was alone…but then Hinata entered my room. She motioned at me to stay quiet and follow her…and I did. As we snuck around the hallway, we could hear people talking. Talking about what happened last night…and how the Uchiha clan was massacred.

And that Itachi and Sasuke were the only known survivors.

…

…

…

* * *

><p>AN Remember how I said that I would be busy playing _Pokémon Omega Ruby_ (have yet to start _Alpha Sapphire_, but I have started _Persona Q_, so watch out, _Façade_ readers)? Yeah, that actually happened and I only recently just finished beating the game a few days ago. By the way, the music is quite lovely and I certainly had a good time with my team of Pokémon. Ahem, anyways, I'm currently staying at my older sister's home, helping her out because I need a job and she's paying me, so ya.

That being said, let me tell you about this chapter… The Uchiha Clan Massacre…it happened, but…Itachi didn't do it. He and Sasuke are the only survivors, so something changed immensely. Also, reason why Chōko doesn't contemplate too much on the future is because it gets to her emotionally, as shown with how much she started to worry about Shisui, the Uchiha Clan Massacre, and the events it would set off. This is why she lives in the moment, because when she starts realizing what could happen…she gets worked up. She's not good at hiding her emotions either once the tears start coming.

The title of this chapter came from the translation of Shisui's name. Shisui's name has two interpretable meanings. Combining the words Shi (死, Death) and Sui (水,Water), Shisui would mean "death water", which is a reference to his death by drowning. "Shisui" (止水) alone means "still water" or "stagnant water". By the way, with the way Shisui's name is…holy crap, this character was just…yeah. Also, this is chapter 16, so THERE'S an unintentional thing that happened. This chapter is nothing but death. Bluh…sorry for the whiplash and I hope the beginning A/N didn't turn anyone away.

Moving on, Naruto gets to know the story of the _Tale of the Utterly Gutsy Shinobi_. All thanks to Shisui…who is gone, and I feel horrible because I really grew attached to this dork. Also, kudos to **ChibiFoxAI**, for the suggestion of using Shisui's ashes to grow a tree because she's the one who showed me how someone's ashes could be used to grow a tree…and so the joke about the soul tree came to be because of it. But seriously, I think it's awesome that, aside from being able to make your ashes into a jewel, they could also be used to grow a tree. The type of magnolia that was picked for Shisui is a _magnolia × soulangeana_ or a saucer magnolia.

That aside, shout out to **PFCDontKnow**, for being reviewer #50 and another shout out for **Molly Grace 16** for being reviewer #60! An honorable mention goes to **Harmonic Bunny**. Sorry if I haven't been so vocal as of lately, I just got out of school and just…stress…yeah…

Anyways, that is it for now, so I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! I'm really happy how this chapter turned out, and it's even long! So until next time, everyone! KD out! XD


	17. Coping

I was honestly shocked to hear that Itachi was still in the village. He wasn't labeled a traitor, but he was currently being questioned. Even though Itachi had the most solid alibi ever, with pictures to prove it, thanks to a certain deceased Uchiha's camera (Shisui, you beautiful bastard!), Itachi was still suspected in taking part in the Uchiha Clan Massacre.

"M-Mikoto-san and F-Fugaku-san…" Hinata still couldn't believe it.

"Where are we going?" That's what I want to know.

"Shh…k-keep your v-voice down…" Hinata was definitely nervous. "N-Naruto-kun and the others a-are looking for S-Sasuke-kun's room…"

"How long ago did you wake up?" I'm assuming Hinata and everyone else were also knocked out. I have a feeling Itachi had been the one to knock us out. Either him, or the ANBU who probably arrived upon receiving word from our little friend in the shadows that something was wrong. He's still following Naruto, by the way…so he most likely saw the mess at the Uchiha compound. _Oh god_, the memory is still fresh in my head!

"T-Ten minutes ago," Hinata replied. "K-Kiba-kun woke me up…and then I found y-you."

"And what are you two doing out of your rooms?" Hinata and I nearly shrieked upon being asked that question…_nearly_. When we saw that it was Sakura who was talking to us, we immediately calmed. Sakura had her hands on her hips as she looked sternly at us. "You two are supposed to be resting in your rooms."

"S-Sorry, S-Sakura-chan…" Hinata stuttered. "W-We were j-just looking for—"

"Sasuke, right?" Sakura interrupted Hinata. Upon seeing us both nod in response, Sakura sighed and shook her head. "Follow me…I'll lead you to the others."

…Others? Huh, looks like Hinata and I aren't the only ones who Sakura has encountered.

…

…

"Just try not to make too much noise, or the nurses will find you." That was what Sakura told us, moments after taking us to Sasuke's room. She left shortly afterwards, most likely returning to her post. I've heard she's become a medic-nin's assistant already. For an eight-year-old girl with at least two years of medic-nin training, that is quite the accomplishment. I honestly feel extremely proud for Sakura.

I wonder how Ino feels…oh my god, Chōko, _focus_! Sasuke is in the room with everyone else, and is probably devastated with the loss of his clan. The least you can do is try to comfort him, instead of being proud of Haruno Sakura and her medic-nin progress! You can do that later…

"Hinata, open the door." I'm kinda afraid to do it myself…

"U-Uh, I was h-hoping you'd do that…" Oh no, Hinata, please don't make me do it.

After two minutes of staring at each other, I sighed in defeat and opened the door. Hinata just couldn't do it and I just couldn't make her do it… I am a big pushover when it comes to Hinata.

When I had opened the door, Hinata and I were greeted to the sight of our friends circling around Sasuke as he tried to hide himself under the covers of his bed. Naruto was trying to coax Sasuke to come out, but Sasuke refused. It was easy to tell that Sasuke was crying, considering his constant sniffing and poor attempts at choking back sobs. After closing the door behind us, Hinata and I joined our friends and Naruto continued trying to get Sasuke to come out from under the covers.

"Sasuke, we're worried about you-ttebayo." Naruto frowned. "We just want to see if you're okay—"

At that moment, Sasuke pulled the covers off of himself and yelled directly at Naruto, "E-Everyone is _gone_! There's no one left, but me and Nii-san—what makes you think I'm okay?!"

Naruto flinched at how close Sasuke was to his face and at how loud the Uchiha had been. Despite this, Naruto didn't falter. He kept his ground and looked Sasuke directly in the eye. "Then stop trying to do everything yourself, dattebayo! You are not alone, dumbass! You have friends—and we're all here for you, dattebayo!"

Sasuke scowled at Naruto. "Do you have any idea how it _feels_ to lose everything?!"

"Yes!" Naruto snapped. "I do—in fact, we _all_ do-ttebayo!"

"Have you not realized that all the time we spent together has also strengthened our bonds with each and every one of our families?" Shino questioned Sasuke. "We might not be on the same wavelength as you and Itachi-san, but we still feel the pain and loss from the tragedy that had occurred last night."

"Wh-Wha?" Sasuke was speechless…as was everyone else.

What Shino had said struck a chord within everyone. Even though we cannot fathom how it must feel to be Itachi and Sasuke, we were still very much affected by the Uchiha Clan Massacre.

"It's the same when Hinata-sama's mother died and when Shisui-san was found dead…" Neji decided to add to Shino's statement.

Chōji nodded. "It's just as Shino said."

"Y-You're not the only one who f-feels it…" Hinata remarked.

"And stop trying to hide!" Shikamaru looked sternly at Sasuke. "It's troublesome enough when Neji-san used to do it, even more so when Chōko does it—don't start, too."

"Please…you're not alone." Kiba frowned. "You have us…right, leader?"

All attention immediately turned to me. Thanks a lot, Kiba, for putting me in the spotlight. I _really_ appreciate it—now's not the time for sarcasm. I need to be serious for once.

"Sasuke, what happened last night is something we'll never be able to forget." We'll all probably be having nightmares about it for the rest of our lives. "We all saw what you saw and—dammit, if you need to cry, then _cry_! Please…just don't push us away."

"Sa-ke not 'lone," Hanabi finally spoke. She had been in the room this entire time, but she was quiet. Even Hanabi, as young as she is, was able to tell something was wrong based on the current atmosphere. Her eyes might have never seen Fugaku and Mikoto's bloody corpses, but she was still there when we were all screaming and crying. "Sa-su-ke…not alone."

Sasuke stared at Hanabi. That was the first time she had ever been able to say his entire name, usually calling him "Sa-ke", which sounded exactly like sake (Shisui teased Sasuke whenever Hanabi said his name). And for a two-year-old girl, Hanabi was very perceptive than she let on, as we have only just found out.

When Naruto climbed onto Sasuke's bed to give the Uchiha a hug, Sasuke didn't push him away or said anything. A minute passed and Sasuke managed to utter a weak, "Thank you" before breaking down into tears.

…

…

When Itachi finally returned from his questioning to pick Sasuke and the rest of us up from the hospital, I couldn't help but wonder what was going through his head when he had to see a group of children running away from a couple of nurses. After a couple of wacky hospital shenanigans, Itachi finally caught up to us. The look of confusion on his face as we used him as a shield to distance us from the angry nurses who stood across from him was priceless. I wondered what was going on through his head, again, as the nurses bitched out at him for all the trouble we caused.

By the end of the afternoon, as we followed Itachi out of the hospital, the older Uchiha looked exhausted. I felt bad for him, but at the same time, I couldn't help but find the situation funny (the whole hospital scenario with the nurses, I mean). And when I started laughing, everyone started laughing as well. Itachi just sighed, but if you looked closely, you could tell that he was smirking. Deep down, despite all the hell the nurses gave him, he found our antics quite amusing.

I know we shouldn't be laughing after what happened last night, but we really needed this moment. Because as we made our way through town, people were whispering as we passed. We could not go three minutes without hearing mentions of, "the last Uchiha" and the "Uchiha Clan Massacre". People were mourning, sympathizing, and gossiping about the massacre. And while they had good intentions (or not, I dunno), last night's events were the last thing we wanted on our mind.

…

When Itachi tried to drop Chōji and me off at the Akimichi compound, we all hesitated to say goodbye. And when Chōji and I tried leaving, Sasuke latched onto us and told us not to leave. We…weren't in any state to leave each other.

Our families were quite understanding of us when we told them that we would be staying at Naruto's place until further notice. Hiashi was against it, at first…but when he tried to take Hanabi away from Sasuke, she started crying. And when he saw how close we were all to Itachi and Sasuke, Hiashi decided to make an exception.

And so, for the next three weeks, we were all living at Naruto's apartment. If we went out, we went out together. During those three weeks, we just couldn't bear to be apart from each other. Itachi tried to hide it, but I could tell he didn't want any of us out of his sight.

Hinata and I did the cooking…because like _hell_ we were trusting any of the guys, aside from Itachi (who was a surprisingly good cook), with handling the stove and the most Naruto could even do was heat up water, in case you're wondering. Hinata and I took turns trying to sneak vegetables into Naruto's food. We found out that Naruto is the type of person when thoroughly distracted to not pay attention to _what_ he is eating… Which is good, because I don't like force-feeding Naruto vegetables, as amusing as it was, because seeing Naruto practically hiss at a carrot is entertaining as hell.

And on the fifth day, Hinata and I nearly had a heart attack when we saw Itachi, clad in nothing but a towel, walking into the women's side of the bathhouse to personally drag Naruto back to the men's side. Because Naruto thought it would be funny to sneak into the women's side and I'm just going to say it now…the Oiroke no Jutsu is in the making. I saw the pigtails and Naruto passing as a convincing little blonde girl.

Shisui would be proud of Naruto for getting Itachi to do something so bold…and I'm pretty sure all the ladies (mostly girls in their early to late teens) appreciated the view that was Uchiha Itachi clad in nothing but a towel. Yes, he's only thirteen, but Itachi was tall for his age and actually did not look his age. Also, _niiice_ stomach…and legs (that I wish I had, but I'm only eight, so it'll be a long time before _that_ development even happens—_should_ it happen)…okay, so I appreciated the view as well, so what?!

I can't help it if Itachi is aesthetically attractive… Well, _that_ sounded creepy. It's a good thing I don't have a crush on the guy, or else that would've been even _more_ awkward. In all my nineteen years in my past life, I have managed to develop one crush and one crush only (I work differently when it comes to love—it's complicated), and that was during my senior year of high school. It was on a friend, who was not looking into getting in a relationship anytime soon with anyone—and I should probably abandon that train of thought before I start thinking about the friends I've left behind. Dwelling on the past is the last thing I should do when I'm still recovering from the trauma I got when I saw Fugaku and Mikoto's bloody corpses. Let me tell you about nightmares—THEY ARE _HORRIBLE_ WHEN THEY ARE ABOUT THINGS YOU'VE ACTUALLY WITNESSED.

At this point, I'd actually welcome sleep paralysis—actually, no! Fuck that—it's _worse_! Still, waking up in the middle of the night, crying and waking everyone else up is something I hope will stop soon, for me…and everyone else. Also, Itachi, I can tell you're going to the bathroom to recover from your nightmare, don't give us the whole, "glass of water" excuse. It only works when you don't consistently use it.

"Chōko-san, what are you doing?" Can't you see, Itachi? I am hugging you.

"You had a nightmare…" This is the seventh time this week this has happened. I thought we made it clear that we wouldn't be hiding anything from each other concerning the incident. That we would be supporting of each other as we tried to cope with the trauma. "Accept the hug or I'll wake everyone else."

"Hn…" was all Itachi said. Because I doubt Itachi wants to wake any of us up, considering we're sleeping rather soundly today…well, I _was_, until weasel accidentally woke me up when he left the bed. We're all sleeping in the same bed, by the way…it gives us a sense of security and comfort, dammit! And that's the sort of thing we _need_ right now.

I think the nightmares finally started to lessen near the end of our second week together. During said week, Sasuke and Naruto bought Hinata and me a make-up kit that we could use for practice…and we did use it…and so did Kiba, Naruto, Sasuke, Chōji, and Shikamaru. I swear, we were having fun with that make-up kit. And Hanabi liked eating the lipstick…Shino said it was a phase. Neji hoped it was.

And after the whole "Nejiko" incident (in which make-up, Neji, and Shisui's camera were involved), Neji stayed particularly quiet when Itachi started commenting on the sudden attention boys have been giving him. Apparently, Itachi hadn't realized that Hinata and I had applied make-up onto his face while he was sleeping. And it was only until a fourteen-year-old boy tried asking Itachi out on a date that he found out about the make-up on his face.

Needless to say, Hinata and I had our foreheads poked _hard_…but we all had a good laugh out of it. And for the first time in three years, Neji was the one smirking at Itachi.

On the third and final week, Itachi and Sasuke were given access to the Uchiha compound. Everything had been cleaned up since the day of the massacre, but trying to take one step into the place was _extremely_ difficult. Why were we even trying to get into the Uchiha compound when it's the last thing any of us should do, what with the psychological trauma we had? Shisui's ashes…with no one else around to tell us we couldn't, we were going to use his ashes to grow the tree we had picked out for him. That is, if we could actually _get_ to his ashes.

Day one consisted of Naruto having a panic attack after Sasuke opened the door to his house. Right after that, Sasuke took a few steps away from the door and threw up on the ground. Itachi tried going into the house by himself, but we stopped him upon noticing how much his body was shaking as he neared the entrance. Itachi might have been an ANBU captain, but he still is only _thirteen_. Shinobi life or not, human is human and like _hell_ we were going to let Itachi force himself to enter a place we now associate with a traumatic event…not by himself at least.

Of course, I doubt any of us were ready on day one to enter, so we left the Uchiha compound and ate ramen at Ichiraku Ramen.

Day two consisted of us taking a few steps into the house before Hanabi started crying and whatever nerve we had was lost in the moment as we left the house to try and calm Hanabi. We are not giving up, by the way. Shisui, we're coming for you! Today is just not that day…

…

On day three, we spent an afternoon just sitting around the entrance of Itachi and Sasuke's home. We managed to make it in and we were at least capable of staying longer than ten minutes. And come the next day, we were able to walk around the area. Though, when we neared the location where Fugaku and Mikoto's bloody corpses once laid…we immediately left.

On the day five, we managed to make more progress than usual and actually made it past the spot that was giving us trouble… Then Shikamaru tripped and fell on his face and when Kiba smelled the blood coming from Shikamaru's nose, the Inuzuka immediately ran out of the house and emptied the contents of his stomach into a couple of nearby bushes. I wouldn't blame Kiba for reacting that way, considering that he now associated the scent of fresh blood with that incident…we'll eventually help him get over that or at least help him cope.

For now, the quest to procure Shisui's ashes was still on!

…

On day six, our little friend in the shadows decided to help us out. For the first time since we have met him, he finally spoke to us and it was to help us get through our trauma, step by step, as we made our way to Uchiha graveyard. He stayed with us the entire time until we left the house, with Shisui's ashes in our possession.

We stayed still for a moment, not knowing what to do with the urn of ashes we have finally succeeded in securing. Once it set in that we actually succeeded in getting Shisui, without any poor bird imitations from Shikamaru to ruin everything, we started celebrating. We left the Uchiha compound and made it to the nearest Akimichi dango shop around to eat a couple of skewers of dango each. Afterwards, we went to Yamanaka Flowers and handed Shisui's ashes over to Ino's father, Inoichi. Ino had already managed to get the magnolia she had picked out for us to start sprouting.

And by the end of the afternoon, we had everything we needed to for Shisui's tree…except a place to plant it.

"Where are we going to plant it?" Naruto asked.

At that moment, our little friend in the shadows dropped by to hand Itachi a set of keys and a map with directions. We spent a couple of minutes just staring at Itachi as he looked at the keys and map he was given.

"I think we should follow the directions on the map," Chōji decided to break the silence between all of us.

"That is a good idea," Itachi remarked.

…

The directions on the map led us to a house near the forest. At least, it looked like a house, like one of those typical Japanese houses. As we neared the house, we noticed the door and then looked at Itachi, who still had the keys in his hand. It took a couple a minutes, but we soon found the right key that opened the door to the house.

It was a two-story house…and it was a little dusty, but otherwise, clean. As we looked around the house, Shikamaru found that there was a message behind the map Itachi was given. It was from the Sandaime, explaining that this place was now Naruto's new home. Naruto was ecstatic, even more so when he saw the backyard. It was pretty green, for a house that was uninhabited…almost as if someone had been caring for the greenery in their spare time.

We eventually found a spot to plant Shisui's tree. Kiba was quick to dig a hole in a manner similar to a dog digging a hole to bury their bone. Right after, we planted the tree and Naruto watered it.

"Shi-nii happy!" Hanabi exclaimed as she clapped her hands.

We all looked at Shisui's tree and then at Hanabi as she gently patted the little sprout. She was right…Shisui probably was happy.

…

…

We helped Naruto moved his belongings to his new home. Our little friend in the shadows also helped out as well. It was late in the evening when we had finally finished moving everything over from the apartment into the new house…everything except the stove and refrigerator. Naruto's house came with both. It had running water, working bathrooms (two of them) and even a room with a huge bathtub, so no more trips to the bathhouse for Naruto!

Of course, Naruto did say he would still go to the bathhouse from time to time…I swear, if I see him sneaking into the women's side one more time, I will smack him upside the head. If he wants to work on improving his Oiroke no Jutsu, let him do it in his spare time, when Hinata and I are _not_ taking a bath!

Our little friend in the shadows gave Naruto an orange baby blanket and a stuffed dog toy. When he tried asking about it, the ANBU just left without saying a word. Naruto blinked and looked at the baby blanket and stuffed animal. It took him a few seconds to put two and two together before he grinned widely and hugged the stuffed dog toy.

"This is mine, isn't it?!" Naruto looked at all of us. "It has to be!"

I found myself looking at Itachi, who had his head turned away from the scene. Methinks he knows the truth of the blanket and stuffed animal…but he's staying quiet. I'm guessing they were keepsakes from Kushina and Minato…if they are, then I'm glad Naruto has them.

…

The next day, we woke up in Naruto's new house. It was oddly refreshing to wake up in a new place… And there was just something about looking at Shisui's tree, thriving in the sunlight. Naruto was definitely happy, and so were we.

And for the first time in three weeks, I felt as if we were going to be okay. We were able to go our separate ways and return home. Itachi and Sasuke stayed with Naruto, as Naruto had offered them a place to stay with him. I think that was honestly the first time I have ever seen Itachi smile like that.

…

…

Our summer vacation soon came to an end and classes at the Academy resumed. One thing we had to deal with upon returning to the Academy was the attention that the other students gave us because we were there on the night the Uchiha clan was massacred. It was rather stressful, especially when some of the girls tried separating Sasuke from us. Even Ino, despite having a crush on Sasuke, knew better than to do that to the poor kid. Which is why she decided to scare off every girl that tried to approach our group.

Sakura seemed oddly proud of Ino when she dropped by to pick up her friend. And what of Sasuke? He was busy looking at the forsythia flower that had been left at his seat in class, every day for the past week. The reason why he found the flower so peculiar is because it was the same flower that had been left for him in his hospital room.

A forsythia, or a rengyou, was a yellow flower that meant, "Hope" in hanakotoba. Whoever was leaving Sasuke the flower meant well, so there was no harm in receiving the flower… Sasuke seemed oddly content when he learned the flower's meaning. Though, now he, and the rest of us, could only wonder…who was it that was leaving him the flower?

A month passed, and Sasuke continued receiving the flower. The identity of the giver was still unknown, but Sasuke wasn't concerned. He was just intrigued and when he tried asking Ino about it, she just laughed it off and said it was a secret. At this point, Sakura just stopped pulling Ino away and stayed with us.

In a way, Ino and Sakura became part of our circle of friends…but only during lunchtime, because Ino and Sakura were busy girls after classes. Ino had to help her family run their flower shop and Sakura had her medic-nin training. Still, it was nice seeing Ino completing the Ino-Shika-Chō trio…and Sakura completing Team Kakashi. Haha, I befriended the entire Rookie 9.

It was so unreal…but there they were, together…and where did I belong? I find myself thinking about that. I had a place as their friend, and leader, I won't deny it anymore. But when I started thinking about the future, I worried about Sakura.

Would she still be part of Team Kakashi? Or will she be placed on someone else's team? It's a reasonable concern, and I'm still hoping there's still a chance Sakura will be with Sasuke and Naruto, especially with how well they're getting along. Their relationship is quite different than it would have been, four years ago, had I not replaced Sakura in class.

Ino and Sakura are still friends and I'm honestly happy about it. They knew their boundaries whenever they came across a topic we weren't that willing to share with them just yet. They had a lot to learn about us, but this is a good start as any.

When Naruto turned eight years old, he received a gift from Iruka-sensei that consisted of his iconic green goggles. Sakura and Ino joined us that day when the Sandaime took us out for ramen at Ichiraku Ramen. Sarutobi looked strained as he paid Teuchi and Ayame, but otherwise content with how we were doing.

A few days later, it was Shisui's sixteenth birthday… Well, it would have been, had he still been alive. Even so, we weren't going to spend the day as any other day, as we had on Shikamaru's eighth birthday. No…we were going to spend it as Shisui would have done.

Starting by sneaking out of class!

Ino and Sakura stayed behind, since they didn't want to intrude on something that seemed so personal to us. Ino said she would cover for us so Iruka-sensei wouldn't notice we were gone, which would help a lot. Even though Neji wasn't part of his class, Iruka-sensei still treated him as if he was.

The first thing we did after sneaking out of class was head to an Akimichi dango shop. Afterwards, we all made our way to Naruto's house to pay Shisui's tree a visit. Upon nearing Naruto's house, we got sidetracked by a little white snake that crossed our path. Normally, we'd just ignore it, but it was a white snake and I thought it looked cute.

"Do you think it's poisonous?" Naruto said as he poked at the snake with a stick.

"Venomous, Naruto-kun…you mean to ask if it is venomous," Shino corrected.

Naruto made a face. "What's the difference?"

"Venomous and poisonous differ on how the toxin is delivered," Shikamaru explained.

Yeah, I heard this explanation before. "In the case of a snake, it would be through a bite—Naruto, stop poking the poor snake."

"But we don't know if it's venomous!" Naruto whined. "I don't want it biting any of us…"

"We should leave it be, then," Neji remarked.

"Can we just look at it a little longer?" It's been a while since I've seen a snake and I really do find snakes adorable…I'm weird. I think I've already established that. Besides, I'm having some memories of this shoujo manga I once read, called _Kamisama Hajimemashita_. Something about white snakes being familiars of Kami…

"Just d-don't let it bite you…" Hinata warned.

"I think Naruto should stop poking it, then," Chōji said.

Sasuke nodded. "Yeah, it might get mad and bite if you keep doing that."

"And venomous or not, that would still hurt…" Aww, Kiba, did you have a bad experience with snakes?

"It is not venomous, if that is what you are concerned about." Who said that? Better question…how do they know?

"How do you know—" I trailed off after turning around to see who it was that had spoken to us. I felt my heart beginning to pound as I found myself staring at red clouds on black cloth. As my eyes slowly trailed up, I soon found myself staring into a pair of golden eyes with slits for pupils that belonged to an extremely pale-skinned man with long, black hair.

There was only one person I knew who fit that description…and that was Orochimaru, one of the legendary Sannin of Konohagakure…who had defected from said village and, based on his current attire, joined the Akatsuki and was currently an active member.

We were looking at an S-ranked missing-nin…of course, only _I_ knew that and that was a fucking problem. I can really think three words and three words only…

_OH GOD __**WHY**_?!

…

…

…

* * *

><p>AN BAM! CLIFFHANGER! Yeah, I'm a horrible person, but give me a break. I already feel bad enough for the entire trauma I've given these characters. I mean, look at poor Kiba and his negative reaction to blood—like really.

Also, if anyone is wondering who could have killed off the entire Uchiha clan, since it wasn't Itachi…who else could have done it? Recall that Itachi didn't singlehandedly kill off his own clan and you'll get your answer.

That aside, the mention of crushes and stuff came up in this chapter…and this is probably the best time to discuss the question of whether or not Chōko will eventually fall in love, because I have gotten questions about it. And she will…however, it's complicated and the reason it's complicated because Chōko is asexual. And for people wondering what that means, basically, Chōko doesn't experience sexual attraction.

What she _does_ experience, is romantic attraction, which is a feeling that causes people to desire a romantic relationship with a specific other person. Someone who does not experience romantic attraction would be aromantic. Just thought I'd add that in. And just because Chōko is asexual doesn't mean she can't find people aesthetically attractive. She's been doing that a lot, if you haven't noticed…Himawari is a major example.

Also, as far as I have seen, Neji/Chōko and Shikamaru/Chōko have gotten some support. Pairings aren't that set in stone yet, unless otherwise, but I _am_ intrigued with what everyone thinks of whom Chōko should end up with (so far, Neji is in the lead). And I'm just gonna say it right now…I ship based on _chemistry_. I could care less about gender, as I'm pretty open-minded, if you guys haven't noticed. Hope nobody minds.

Moving on, Ino and Sakura have joined the circle of friends…but they're rather busy, so they're only school friends, for the most part. And Sasuke seems to have a secret supporter, who is giving him hope. Rest assured, it isn't Nagito Komaeda from _Super Dangan Ronpa 2_ giving him the forsythia flowers. This ain't no crossover fic.

And Naruto's moved out of his apartment and into a new home, where our favorite dog-masked ANBU gave him a stuffed dog and an orange baby blanket as a welcoming present. That should be enough hints as to explain the previous owners of Naruto's new house. I could be direct, but meh, I like being ambiguous.

Itachi and Sasuke are now living with Naruto, so that's something. Also, no one likes to visit the Uchiha compound for reasons involving trauma (they're still coping with that, by the way)…they only managed to make it as far as they did because of Shisui. And there are reasons why Itachi would have been suspected as the killer…but I won't say it now.

Anyways, I'd like to give credit to my friend, **UnstableFable**, for giving me the idea of Naruto not being aware of what he is eating when thoroughly distracted.

Shout out to **Mikki18** for being reviewer #70 and just wow…I'm almost at 80 reviews. I feel quite accomplished! So thank you very much, you guys, for taking the time to review! I also appreciate the support I got from you guys in regards to the rude anon review I got. So, once again…thank you! ^^ Oh, and an honorable mention goes to **pinkus-pyon** and, by the way, I picked Torchic for Omega Ruby and I'll be doing the same for Alpha Sapphire…I just like Torchic—it's a bird that eventually evolves into a kickboxing chicken.

Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Please excuse the mood whiplash in this chapter! So, until next time, everyone! KD out! XD


	18. Goodbye

"Would you like to touch him?" Orochimaru asked us, moments after he picked up the snake off the ground.

It's so fucking _weird_ seeing Orochimaru trying to act friendly with us…keyword: _trying_. There was something about the way he looked at us that made his friendly demeanor seemed contrived. I'm…not exactly unfamiliar with this side of Orochimaru, and I can blame _Rock Lee's Springtime of Youth_ on it! While I failed to catch up onto the main series, the exact opposite happened with the spin-off and now I can't see Orochimaru as anything more than a _joke_…for the most part.

I am still aware of how dangerous this guy is, but it's extremely difficult to forget all the gags and punchlines that I had seen Orochimaru do in the spin-off. Regardless of my current circumstances, I'm still in a position where I have to approach our current situation very carefully.

"Kaa-chan says we're not supposed to speak to strangers!" I said _carefully_, Chōko, not annoying!

Orochimaru tried to brush off my little outburst. "Oh, but I am not a stranger—"

"Strangers also lie!" Might as well roll with this approach, since it's working! I can already see Orochimaru struggling to keep his pretense. "Stranger danger!"

"I have already mentioned that I am not a stran—" Orochimaru never had a chance to finish his sentence because I interrupted him again…like the impulsive idiot I am.

"STRANGER DANGER!" I made sure I was louder when I repeated myself. Before I could even think, impulse took over and I ended up punching Orochimaru in the stomach…or at least, I _thought_ I punched him in the stomach. Judging by his pained reaction and the fact that he keeled over onto the ground upon feeling Akimichi clan strength at maximum overdrive, I think I might have gone lower than I had intended…well, oops! "Guys?"

"Y-Yeah, Chōko-chan?" Naruto was nervous.

"I think we should run…" Because I just fucked up majorly when I punched this guy…and I probably shouldn't be leader anymore. Of course, that should be the least of my worries when we should _all_ be getting our asses out of dodge. We're nothing but Academy students and Orochimaru is a Sannin for a _reason_! Let us not forget his S-rank missing-nin status, which my friends known nothing about, but thanks to my spontaneous actions, they're just _as_ concerned about fleeing.

Unfortunately, Orochimaru seemed to have anticipated any attempts to abscond beforehand, because suddenly—snakes. Snakes _everywhere_…they were in our way, hissing at us and _definitely_ showing deimatic behavior. I'm still not sure if they're venomous, but I'd rather not find out the hard way—_oh god_, it's **on** me.

"L-Leaving so soon?" And, like an idiot, I looked back to see a _very_ pissed off Orochimaru—did anyone feel a chill go down their spine just now, or was it just me? And—oh god…oh god…_oh god_…I think I just saw myself getting killed—quite _brutally_, at that. I think I need a moment—huurk. Hopefully, my stomach settles down once I regain all feeling in my limbs—**too late**.

_Splat!_

There goes every skewer of dango and cup of tea I ate and drank within the past two hours. **Gross**. I don't feel good…and my stomach is just making it even worse for myself. And tears—they won't stop! _Why_ did I look back?! I AM SUCH AN—

_Hiss!_

I tensed as I felt something tickle my ear. I could feel a cold, scaly body circling itself around my neck. "A-aah!"

Oh god, I could _feel_ my soul crawling out of my mouth—I liked snakes, but at this moment, I was terrified of them.

"Chōko-san!" Neji, can you not yell? I am trying not to freak out and hearing you freak out is making it worse.

"I-I'm f-f-f-fiiine—aaah!" I am a terrible liar when I am extremely petrified. Of course, I am completely justified in the fact that the snake just tightened itself around my neck. Not much, but I could feel it coiling around my neck and just—aah, it's nerve-wracking. I can feel the goosebumps prickling my skin and I am just seconds away from hyperventilating. My body is shaking and it doesn't help that I'm stuck in a rather uncomfortable position. That is, with the upper-half of my body turned so I could look back. Keeping this position is extremely uncomfortable, but I'd rather not move.

"Get off her, dattebayo!" Naruto, you better not be moving!

_Hiss!_

And it went dead quiet after that. I could hear Kiba starting to whimper, Hinata struggling to keep herself from screaming, and I'm pretty sure that was Sasuke inhaling deeply and exhaling in an attempt to keep himself calm. Shino, Shikamaru, and Chōji haven't said anything since I punched Orochimaru in the vitals (I swear, I meant to get him in the stomach!). Meanwhile with me, I'm seconds away from breaking down and this fucking snake is keeps hissing in my ear—oh god, that was its _tongue_!

"I would suggest that none of you make any sudden movements." Orochimaru spoke calmly as he smirked at us. "It would be a shame if you were to be bitten."

Translation: Move and you're fucking dead.

"B-Bastard!" Naruto, please don't piss Orochimaru off. I've done enough as is already and our little friend in the shadows isn't around to save our asses. Because the thing with our favorite dog-masked ANBU is that he usually leaves Naruto on his own during classes, usually dropping every hour or so to check up on him. He's probably looking for us right now and I'm hoping he finds us soon before this situation escalates even more than it has already.

Okay, please tell that wasn't a snake that just slithered by me, because it felt bigger than the others—a lot _bigger_. Nonononononono, get off me—GET OFF ME!

_Hiss!_

"Eeek!" The snake around my neck just tightened again. "Ah…"

Oh god, someone _help_ me!

"Careful. She can sense your fear." Oh so the snake around my neck is female—not the fucking point! You're enjoying this, aren't you, Orochimaru?! Is this payback for punching you in the vitals?!

Oh god, that explains the giant-ass snake that's starting to curl around me—it's moving _higher_! I know what it's doing! I've seen ball pythons do this to mice—it's gonna _suffocate_ me! Of course, the snakes I've seen kill mice struck fast, not slow and steady, but this snake belongs to Orochimaru and the fact that I've succeeded in doing nothing but pissing him off says a lot about what could potentially happen to me. And that's my death being slow and painful.

I just realized something…I'm completely terrified about dying. I mean, I always had a fear about dying, but I never realize to what extent. And it took only until I had a giant snake wrapping itself around my body, with a smaller one coiling around my neck, practically threatening to strangle me to realize that.

Why the fuck is this even happening?! Why is Orochimaru even here?! "Aaack!"

"Stop it, dattebayo!" Naruto yelled.

"I will stop if you decide to come with me." Oh god, don't tell me Orochimaru was sent to get Naruto because he's a jinchuuriki. Don't tell me the Akatsuki has started the hunt already. This isn't supposed to happen—not now, at least! "Or would you rather she die?"

Oh god, it's getting hard to breathe—it feels like I'm choking. It's as if I need my inhaler to breathe—but I don't have asthma as Akimichi Chōko! I'm getting _crushed_ by a giant snake! Okay, getting dizzy—vision blurring and it isn't my shitty eyesight, even though my glasses were currently on the ground due to one of my sudden actions.

"Why me-ttebayo?!" I would like to know that, too—ooh, colors…wait, that's **bad**!

"Tick-tock, she is running out of time." Orochimaru, you smarmy bastard, you—ugh, blacking out…

"All right, I'll _go_, but you have to let her, and everyone else, go!" Naruto yelled.

And those were the magic words that got those snakes off of me and allowed me the pleasure of breathing. I collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air. Sweet, sweet oxygen—never deprive me of thee! It feels good to breathe again, even though it kinda hurts to do so…and see, now that I've picked up my glasses again. Wait, I'm forgetting something— "Naruto!"

"I'm sorry, Chōko-chan…" Naruto looked apologetically at me as he walked over to Orochimaru, who just looked smug.

"You heard the little boy." Fuck you, Orochimaru! I will not stand for this—okay, I can't even stand right now!

"Aaugh!" And back onto the ground, I go. I should not try standing up. Not while my body is still hurting, ow…

"Ch-Chōko-chan!" Hey, Hinata, you look…fine? Okay, you don't. Your eyes are red (which is really obvious, due to the white eyes), and you are shaking uncontrollably. "Wh-Wh-What's g-g-going to h-h-h-happen?"

"I…don't know…but we can't let Naruto go." Like hell I'm letting that happen!

Luckily for us, at that moment, our little friend in the shadows showed up and intervened, by killing of every snake within our vicinity. Yeah, you're a little late, pal, but it's better late than never!

Then an unsuspected third party decided to intrude in the form of yet another Akatsuki member with a large, mechanical scorpion-like tail. Said tail was used to strike the ANBU, and if I recalled something, if vaguely, wasn't that the poison that caused painful paralysis and was used against Kankurō? That being said, I seemed to have forgotten that the Akatsuki travel in pairs, which would make the member who just finished incapacitating our little friend in the shadows…Sasori, in his disguise as his favorite puppet, Hiruko.

"ANBU-san!" Naruto yelled moments before being promptly knocked out by Orochimaru. Naruto's unconscious body fell onto the ground, which was then picked up by Hiruko's tail. Before any of us could react, Orochimaru and Sasori (Hiruko—whatever) disappeared into the nearby woods.

"Oh my god…" This is a nightmare—we can't let them leave! But the ANBU… "Chōji, Hinata, Shino, Kiba. I need one of you to run off to get help. The rest of you, try and get ANBU-san to the hospital. He needs help."

"Wh-What happened to him?" Hinata looked nervously at the poor ANBU.

"Poison," Shino said as a matter of fact. "I believe there is still some on his body. This may prove useful in treating his state."

"You have to get him to the hospital fast, though," Shikamaru sighed. "How troublesome."

"Shut up!" I snapped at Shikamaru. "You, Neji-san, Sasuke, and me are gonna be going after Naruto! Shino, track us with one of your bugs! Kiba…are you okay?"

"S-Sorry, it's the blood." Kiba was covering his nose. "I'll go get help!"

Kiba ran off without saying another word. Right after he left, Hinata and Chōji started to try and drag the ANBU's body. Meanwhile with Shino, he was busy placing some of his insects on us. Immediately after Sasuke had been bugged (no pun intended…maybe, I seriously need an outlet right now), he ran off after Naruto. Neji followed right after, with Shikamaru and me soon trailing after the two of them. I can't believe we are doing this.

I know we are not going to be successful in getting Naruto back…but the reason I had all of us go was so we could lead whatever help Kiba managed to get in order to rescue Naruto. Neji would be useful in scoping out Naruto. Sasuke, regardless of what I had said, would have gone after Naruto. The two are just that close. And Shikamaru is smart. As for me…this is my fault. I was the reason Naruto had been convinced to go with Orochimaru.

It was because of me, our little friend in the shadows got poisoned with a toxin that had no antidote just yet, as it was years too early for such a poison to be introduced to Konohagakure. The ANBU might as well have been dead, but…I'm still hoping for a miracle.

Anything that can go wrong, **will** go wrong…it's usually assumed to be Murphy's Law, but that is a mistake. In actuality, that is Finagle's Law. Murphy's Law is summed up as "If something can be used or done a right way and a wrong way, and the wrong way will lead to catastrophe, it _will_ be used or done the wrong way." It's something I found out, sometime before I died…

Finagle's Law was not a kind one in the world of Naruto, as shown by what had just happened. Still, I wasn't one to give up—at least, not as Akimichi Chōko. I'm willing to fight before I decide to give up. Because Orochimaru and Sasori just took my friend away and I will not stand for this…not me, nor any of my friends.

Shisui wouldn't want this on his birthday and god dammit, I will make sure this day doesn't become the day Konohagakure lost its jinchuuriki—our friend, Uzumaki Naruto. We've lost too many people this year and we'll be _damned_ if we lose yet another person who we hold dear to us.

…

…

Neji was surprisingly good at tracking down Naruto's kidnappers. There was something strange about them, though. For a couple of S-ranked missing-nin, they sucked at throwing off a group of Academy students. Sure, we had a Hyuuga on us—but he is only nine-years-old. He still doesn't have enough experience to even be on equal grounds with people like Orochimaru and Sasori.

"They're purposely trying to get us to follow." Shikamaru figured it out. "They want to make sure we keep following."

"Is he aware that we are clan children?" Neji was predictably concerned. As a Hyuuga from the Branch House who was tasked in protecting Hinata, the Main House's heiress, he had all reason to worry.

"Why did you think I told Hinata to stay behind?" I'm not stupid. I know she'd be vulnerable to people, like Orochimaru, who would most likely be interested in children from kekkei genkai clans. Which is why I'm worried about Sasuke. He and Itachi are the last of their clan—excluding a certain Uchiha who is presumably dead, but isn't, but that's spoilers.

Back on Sasuke, it is years too early for him to encounter Orochimaru. And considering the circumstances, I'm worried that Orochimaru might use Naruto as a bargaining chip in order to get Sasuke to come with him. I am terrified of that outcome. I don't want to lose any more of my friends.

Shisui was bad enough as is and the Uchiha Clan Massacre just did nothing to help with my mental health. I still have nightmares about it, just not as often as I did during those first two weeks.

"We need to keep Sasuke-san safe." Neji caught on to Sasuke's status.

"Troublesome…" Shikamaru tried to lighten up our situation, but it was easy to tell that he was just as stressed as we are. "Are you okay, Chōko?"

"It hurts when I breathe." Otherwise, I'm completely fine… Of course, that may be the adrenaline keeping me going. "What about you guys?"

"He did nothing to us," Neji replied. "It was just you, who he had hurt. We just watched and—I'm sorry I did nothing to help."

"Don't!" Dammit, don't blame yourself! "You were just as helpless as me and—it's my fault he did that because I pissed him off—"

"Chōko, shut up!" Sasuke snapped at me. "It's not your fault! It's _his_, for being a creepy bastard! You knew something was up, so you did what you have to do."

"Sasuke's right," Shikamaru agreed. "It's thanks to you that we didn't lower our guard around him."

"I almost died…" I wanted to cry…but not now.

"Do you need a hug?" Aww, Neji…thank you.

"Not now, but later…" I'll make sure to smack a sticker onto your head by then. "We need to get Naruto…how far ahead are they?"

"Not too far," Neji quickly replied. "How long do you think it'll be before they send in help?"

"Depends how long it takes for them to get to Shino." I seriously hope that's fast enough.

Ever since the Uchiha Clan Massacre, our families have become extremely protective of Naruto. Even the Hyuuga, the clan that took the longest to warm up to Naruto, were just as protective of him. Of course, no one was as protective as Itachi, who was probably still at the Sandaime's office, having a serious talk with the guy. He didn't tell us the details. Whatever it was, it probably involved his ANBU captain status.

That probably should have been a sign not to skip class, because Itachi wasn't around to protect us, as he would have, _had_ he been with us. And Shisui was gone…so it was just us. We weren't armed, all we really had were the knowledge of some of our clans' techniques…well, everyone, but Naruto and I, did. That aside, we were still nothing by Academy students who picked the wrong time to skip class.

We weren't ready for this…and we knew that.

…

…

Eventually, our chase came to an end. I have no idea how long we had been chasing after Orochimaru and Sasori, but it felt as if they were leading us in circles. Upon thinking that, I came to a realization…they _were_ leading us in circles. The outskirts of Konohagakure were surrounded by a forest before the outer walls that enclosed the entire village. As far as I know, there are only four entrance gates leading into (and out of) Konoha. I'm not exactly sure how close we are to the nearest one, but I am concerned.

I was even more concerned when Orochimaru and Sasori just stood there and did nothing. Of course, Orochimaru looked as if he was enjoying the hell out of this. I'm not too sure about Sasori…or Hiruko. Bluh.

Well, this is unnerving…

"Give back Naruto!" Oh shit, forgot we had an angry, possessive Uchiha on our hands!

"Sasuke, no!" Did you not see the ANBU go down to Sasori's poison?! We are Academy students! I will _not_ allow you to endanger your life!

"H-Hey!" No, Sasuke, you are _staying_ with us! I am done losing everyone I've come to know and love—holy crap, is that the Sharingan?! Nononono—put it away, Sasuke, put it away!

"Ah, so he _is_ an Uchiha." Craaap, Orochimaru _saw_.

"We're not letting you near him!" Neji said firmly as he got in front of Sasuke and me.

"And a Hyuuga…" Dammit, Orochimaru is just collecting information now! "Which House are you from?"

"None of your business!" You tell him, Neji!

Shikamaru, what are you doing? You've been oddly quiet—oh, you're probably in the middle of using your Kagemane. Wait, you're only eight years old—do you even have the chakra reserves to handle it? Better question…will it _work_?

"I'm using it on Sasuke, if you're worried." Oh, are you trying to help me keep this kid at our side? Thank you, Shikamaru.

"Wh-What the hell?!" Sasuke stopped struggling, much to my relief…then I realize that Shikamaru also included _my_ shadow.

"Sh-Shikamaru!" Oh god, this feels so weird. "Wh-What the hell, man?! Mmmph!"

When Shikamaru covered his mouth, I did as well…and so did Sasuke. I was mad…because Shikamaru purposely included my shadow, along with Sasuke's, to shut me up. I guess he was afraid I might endanger myself again, as I had done earlier. I'd appreciate it if you haven't pulled that crap without me knowing, ya jerk!

"A Nara is also amongst you." Orochimaru sounded very intrigued…then he looked at me. "And just what clan are you from?"

For once, I am quite glad I have a fast metabolism. Because otherwise, Orochimaru would know I am from the Akimichi clan.

"Isn't that the brat who knocked you down?" And Sasori finally speaks and eeeugh, that voice is _creepy_.

Orochimaru seemed annoyed with Sasori's question. I guess he'll never live down the day an eight-year-old girl punched him in the vitals. The fact that even happened just says a lot about how unpredictable I have been in order for Orochimaru to _not_ dodge. Oh, he'll never hear the end of this back at the Akatsuki base…wait, isn't that in Amegakure, where Shisui, Itachi, and Iruka took their Chuunin exams?

…

…

Oh god, I just realized something…this isn't a kidnapping. There is an ulterior motive behind this…That's _why_ Orochimaru and Sasori let us follow them! That's why they're still in the village, when they could have been long gone by now!

As someone else was the cause of the Uchiha Clan Massacre, Itachi had no reason to defect from his own village and stayed with us. Because he stayed behind, he had yet to join the Akatsuki. Because he had yet to join the Akatsuki, Konoha was vulnerable to their direct movements, because Itachi's membership had included a stipulation against such.

That's why Orochimaru and Sasori were here. The more I thought about it, the more apparent it became that the actual reason the two of them were here, in Konoha, was to recruit Itachi. I doubt the Akatsuki would overlook Itachi during the Chuunin exams, which is why this is the point of normalization. If not the Uchiha Clan Massacre, then this could potentially cause our friend—our older brother figure of sorts—to leave. We lose either Naruto, or Itachi…that's what this might come to.

I don't want this…I _don't_ **want** _**this**_! "Aaaaugh!"

"C-Crap!" Shikamaru swore.

I think I just broke out of his Kagemane…holy shit. Guess Akimichi clan strength also works on shadows—not the point! "Hey, you! Yeah, you—snake bastard! I know who you are!"

Orochimaru's left twitched slightly upon hearing me insult him. "Do you?"

"You're the Sannin that got butt-hurt because he wasn't chosen to be the Yondaime!" I might have not been able to say anything earlier, but now, _this_ is something that I know I _should_ know, because I've been reading Itachi's history books. Itachi is a history-buff of his own village, which pays a lot when he decides to leave his books around in the open for me to grab and take home with me. He gets annoyed when I borrow them without his permission, but all I usually get is a forehead poke and then another book. Let me just say…Itachi likes to annotate his books, and while he's no Shisui, his deadpan humor makes reading his history books a hell of a lot more interesting than it already is.

I'm pretty sure I dug my own grave, but I was pissed off. I don't do well when I'm extremely mad. There is a reason I had to take anger management classes when I was younger in my past life. It was because I had a hard time controlling my own emotions. I have the same problem here, if only because I still have the body of a child with a still developing brain. Some things are just out of my own control. Age is one of them.

"You insolent, little brat—" Orochimaru is _pissed_.

Meanwhile with Sasori, he seemed intrigued, in his own way. "I wonder how a child would fare in my collection."

Oh shit, is he talking about **that** collection? _Nononono_, I'm not interested in becoming a puppet!

"You can have her after I'm done with her," Orochimaru said darkly. "I'll try not to damage her body too much…"

_That's_ comforting. Now I have _two_ S-ranked missing-nin after me in a manner that results in the end of my life. There is _nothing_ awesome about this. This is a nightmare!

"Dammit!" What's wrong now, Shikamaru—Sasuke, no!

"Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" Unlike every other attempt to use the technique, this time, around…Sasuke managed to successfully create a rather powerful flamethrower. I couldn't help but think of Pokémon at the moment, even though I should be more concerned about the fact that Sasuke was within _range_ of Sasori and Orochimaru.

However, thanks to Sasuke's Goukakyuu, Sasori and Orochimaru split up and went in two different directions when they dodged Sasuke's flamethrower. Unfortunately, we now had no idea where the hell they were, thanks to the abundance of trees within our vicinity. They could be in any of them right now…

"Watch out!" Neji yelled before pushing us all out of the way from a barrage of needles that now impaled the ground we once stood on. We were almost hit—are those needles poisoned?! God dammit, Sasori is intending to _kill_ us!

"Find someone else to join your damn collection!" I refuse to become a puppet! That's it—I thought it wouldn't come to this, but I really have no choice at this point! "Hold my glasses!"

Neji was rather surprised when I just handed him my glasses. "Ah…"

I didn't bother letting Neji say anything as my hands formed into a Tiger hand seal and I quickly yelled out, "Suiton Teppōdama!"

What happened next resulted in me spitting out condensed balls of water out of my mouth. I managed to spat out at least five water balls, which I had aimed at the trees around us. I was aiming to throw off Orochimaru and Sasori, because the power in my technique isn't as lethal as it could be. I'm still in the process of learning how to use this technique.

While I did say that Naruto and I were the exception in us not knowing any clan techniques, I never did say we didn't have any up our sleeves. During the time Shisui and Itachi had spent training Sasuke, Naruto, and me, while everyone else was absent, Shisui had managed to get us three special paper in order to discover what our affinities are. Naruto was, predictably, a wind-type, Sasuke was a lightning-type (Shisui found this amusing) and I was a water-type. No fire-types here, despite this being Fire Country! How is that for irony?!

…

Okay, Sasuke most likely had fire as his secondary (it's an Uchiha thing), so it isn't that ironic, but I digress. That aside, none of us, but Sasuke, knew any elemental techniques. And the only elemental technique Sasuke even knew was the Goukakyuu and that had been part of his clan's rite of passage of sort—again, it's an Uchiha thing. Shisui wanted to start working on Naruto and me the next summer after that, but…yeah…he never had the chance.

The only reason I knew the Teppōdama was because of Itachi wanted to continue what Shisui had planned, starting with me. As the Teppōdama shared the same rank as the Goukakyuu, he decided it shouldn't be that difficult for me to learn and it wasn't—well, it was at first. I mean, being able to convert your chakra into water isn't exactly the easiest thing to do. Especially when I keep thinking of SCIENCE when stuff like that happens and then my brain starts hurting and headaches ruin concentration.

Itachi had plans on working on Naruto right after he finished with me…Naruto was my practice dummy. Part of the goal with me was to improve my aim, while Naruto was supposed to improve his dodging. The more he dodged, the more inclined I was to improve my aim, the more Naruto got hit, the more incentive he had to learn how to dodge better.

So far, my Teppōdama hurt like paintballs hitting someone without proper armor. So as weak as it is, in that sense, it still _does_ hurt to get hit. I'm not exactly sure if Orochimaru and Sasori knew that, as the two of them both jumped out of the trees where two of my water balls hit. Sasuke didn't give any of them a chance to land, as he was quick to use his Goukakyuu on them.

Once again, they dodged and I knew this was going to get nowhere, but it _was_ stalling for time. And that had been the goal: To stall while everyone else gets help.

I nearly had a heart attack when Neji decided to rush to Orochimaru, with his Byakugan activated and his body most likely ready to use the Jūken.

"Neji!" You're gonna get your ass killed, idiot! And you _still_ have my glasses!

"That's Neji-_san_!" Neji yelled as he tried using the Jūken on Orochimaru. Even when in a risky situation, Neji still had the gall to enforce formality. That's what I thought at first, at least…then I realized that this was his way of venting his anxiety. He needed something to keep him grounded, and this was how he did it.

Orochimaru dodged and kept dodging every strike that Neji made at him. I knew Orochimaru was just playing with Neji, giving him the false hope that he could even land a hit. It was as obvious as the smirk on that snake bastard's face. Orochimaru was observing Neji, and that scared me. Neji seemed just as worried as I was.

I decided to give the Teppōdama another shot. This time, every water ball was aimed at Orochimaru. Orochimaru dodged, as predicted…but managed to time his dodging so that some of my water balls ended up hitting Neji right in the stomach. I think it was enough to knock the wind right out of him. It sure did look like it, considering he was now on the ground, writhing in pain.

"N-Neji!" Oh fuck, I wasn't aiming for you! "Are you okay?!"

"I'm f-fine…" Don't lie to me, Neji! I can tell you are _not_ okay!

"You are pretty strong for a child." Oh fuck me sideways…Orochimaru is behind me, isn't he? "I never did find out which clan you belong to."

"Stay away from her!" Shikamaru yelled. "Kagemane no Jutsu!"

The Kagemane would have been helped immensely with my situation…if only Orochimaru wasn't strong enough to resist it.

"Dammit!" Shikamaru swore. "Agh…"

I think Shikamaru just collapsed. If I recall, the major downside of the Kagemane is that it is tiring to use repeatedly. Shikamaru is still only eight. He has a long ways to go before he could use it to the extent he did during the Chuunin Exams Arc. He was fine using it on Sasuke and me, but on Orochimaru…that must have been his limit.

_Hiss!_

"Ahh!" Oh god, snake—_snake_!

"Remember this little one?" Oh don't tell that that's the snake we found on our way to Naruto's house—dammit, it _is_! "He told me that you said he was cute. Is that true?"

I did, but at this moment, I don't think so. "Get it off…"

"He has also told me there was boy with similar markings as you," Orochimaru continued. "And from what I can assume about that boy's build, is that he belongs to the Akimichi clan—is that your clan?"

I'm not saying anything. Fuck you, Orochimaru—I'm done with this shit! I grabbed the snake off my neck and threw it right in Orochimaru's face. It felt so gross to touch its cold, scaly body, but it felt good to see it smack Orochimaru in the face. I saw an opening…and I took it.

"Suiton Teppōdama!" Five water balls shot out of my mouth and hit Orochimaru right in the stomach. That was for Neji, you ass!

_Thud!_

I don't know about you, but seeing an S-ranked missing-nin fall to an attack from an eight-year-old girl was hilarious.

"Katon Goukakyuu no Jutsu!" Sasuke was still trying to get Naruto from Sasori, but to no avail.

Again, we are only but Academy students and they are S-ranked missing-nin. The most we can do is incapacitate them, as I have done with Orochimaru—then again, I am quite spontaneous and prone to impulse and OH MY GOD I CAN'T BELIEVE I JUST DID THAT. I don't feel good—I need to get away from Orochimaru right now!

"Shikamaru!" First, I need to get him away from Orochimaru as well. Poor Shikamaru was just sitting on the ground, panting heavily. He was exhausted, I was panicking, Neji was still recovering, and Sasuke didn't give a damn about his own life because Sasori had Naruto, his _friend_. We are a fucking mess— "Augh!"

_Thud!_

Ow…who the hell grabbed my ankle?! "Aaaah…hi?"

I found myself looking back at an extremely pissed off Orochimaru. He still had his grip on my ankle—ow, ow, ow, _ow_! And he was tightening his grip even harder—fak!

"You have made a fool out of me for the last time." Did I hurt your pride or something, you smarmy bastard? Ow! "You will regret ever crossing me."

"Ahhh!" Oh god, that fucking _hurts_— "Aaaaaaugh!"

I let out a particularly loud, pained scream as Orochimaru's grip increased tenfold. As this went on, Orochimaru stood up, his grip never once releasing my ankle. As a result, I soon found myself hanging upside down as Orochimaru kept increasing the pressure on my ankle. It kept increasing afterwards until—

_Crack!_

A sickening crack caught my ears. A moment afterwards, pain shot through my left leg. It was unimaginable. I tried to keep myself from crying, but it hurt too much. I felt sick—it hurt so much and just…I was crying. Almost immediately, all my friends reacted to my crying by calling out my name.

Orochimaru responded by twisting my already broken ankle. That, paired up with the fact that I was upside down, my weight doing nothing to help—I screamed. The pain was _agonizing_. "It must be nice having friends who care about you…which is why it will all be the more satisfying to see you breathing your last breaths as they watch your life end before their eyes."

"Not my student, you bastard!" I felt my heart practically skip a beat upon hearing his voice—Iruka's.

Soon, I found myself being dropped and landing into the arms of someone who made me feel safe and secure, right after hearing Orochimaru's pained grunts.

"Are you fine, Chōko?" Iruka asked me.

"M-My ankle!" It still hurts like a _bitch_! "And my glasses!"

"Neji-san has them," Iruka was quick to tell me. "Here you go."

I was quick to put on my glasses after Iruka handed them to me. I looked at Iruka, and then at Neji, who was at his side. Neji was clutching onto his stomach, looking rather pained, but otherwise, fine.

"I'm so sorry, Neji-san!" I never meant to hit you.

"D-Don't apologize…" Neji strained. "Your attack—it's gotten stronger."

I felt my face heat up. "You idiot—!"

Leave it to Neji to say something like _this_ in this situation!

"What's good is that you're all still alive!" Oh man, I can already hear the future lecture Iruka-sensei is going to give us once this is all over. Still—it feels _good_ to see him here. "I'm not so sure about _you_!"

As if on cue, a certain dango-loving kunoichi jumped out of the trees with Shino on her back.

"Sorry if I'm late!" Anko exclaimed. "Now where is that snake bastard?!"

Whoa, Anko has so many irons in the fire! It was made even more apparent when she let out a colorful string of curses upon seeing Orochimaru pulling out a couple of shuriken and kunai from his arms. It was enough to make Iruka, Neji, Sasuke (who had decided to regroup with us), Shikamaru, and I, blush rather hard. I swear Anko could make a sailor blush—if they existed here…did they? Okay, not the time to think about stuff like that!

"Hello again, Anko." Orochimaru seemed amused to see his former apprentice among us. "How have you been?"

"Doing a hell of a lot better without you in my life!" Anko spat before taking Shino off her back. "Go regroup with your friends."

Shino did just that and was the one who helped Shikamaru off the ground. It was a good thing that Shino was currently the tallest out of our group (it made it easier to help Shikamaru), with the exception of Neji, who was older than the rest of us by a year. Speaking of Neji, I found myself being propped onto his back before Iruka left to go handle Sasori.

"Watch his tail!" Don't get poisoned, Iruka-sensei! "Wh-Whoa!"

"I got you…" Neji adjusted his hold on me and made sure I wasn't going to slip off his back. "Put your arms around my neck if you have to. I'm not letting you walk on that ankle."

"Thank you for caring." You're getting two stickers for this—oh my god, Chōko, forget about the stickers! Ugh, if this is seriously how I'm coping with the anxiety of the situation, then I need better coping mechanisms…maybe.

"Since we have everything handled, how about you all leave?" Anko was basically telling us to scram. And we did…except for Sasuke, who decided to stay behind!

"Sasuke!" I yelled as we rushed ahead without him. "We need to go back for him!"

"We can't," Shikamaru said. "We're not exactly in the best position to drag him back with us. How troublesome…"

"Which is why I consider it his fault if anything bad happens to Iruka!" Oh hello, Anko, what are you doing here—Sasuke!

"Let me go!" Sasuke struggled to get out of Anko's grip as she carried him over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes. "I can't leave Naruto behind!"

"We were gonna get the kid back!" Anko snapped. "All you had to do was leave it to us!"

"I'm not leaving Naruto behind!" Sasuke stressed. "He's my friend…"

Sasuke…are you crying? Oh god, he is… "Sasuke, it's okay—"

"No it's not!" Sasuke yelled. "I'm gonna lose him like I lost Shisui and everyone else…I don't want to lose him—especially to bastards like them!"

"I hear ya, kid, but you can't do everything on your own against people like them." Anko's tone softened. "They're dangerous—didn't you see what they did to ANBU-san? And that snake bastard—he's just as dangerous."

"You sound as if you recognize him," Shino remarked.

Anko made a face. "Yeah, I do…I'd rather keep quiet about this for now. Maybe one day, I'll tell you guys since you got involved with him. For now, I need you kids to stay here or leave to the hospital. I'm not sure if Iruka can handle the two of them on his own—"

At that moment, a huge flash of fire caught our eyes. We stared as we could hear Iruka's voice call out a couple of Fire Release techniques.

"Hey, did you know that Iruka-sensei did really well during the Chuunin exams in Ame?" I found myself saying.

"Nii-san and Shisui said that the Sandaime said that Iruka was too nice for ANBU," Sasuke remarked.

Cue the simultaneous, "What?" from Anko, Shino, Neji, and Shikamaru. Naruto, Sasuke, and I were all told this information back in the day when everyone was absent due to their training regimens. Shisui and Itachi weren't the only ones considered for recruitment into ANBU, from what I gathered from this tidbit of information. It was just that Iruka wasn't recruited (Thank god! I can't handle having Mizuki as an instructor). So Iruka was probably the most capable of handling two S-ranked missing-nin, apart from Anko, who is stuck with us because Sasuke didn't want to leave.

"If that's the case, then you guys should trust Iruka and me to get Naruto back," Anko decided to change the subject. "Just leave it to us."

"No!" Sasuke yelled. "I just…Naruto…"

"Look, kid, I'll get him back, or I'll die trying." Knowing Anko, she meant what she said. "Can you at least take my word for it?"

"You don't have to," a voice suddenly said. "There's been a change in plans."

Almost instantly, we all turned to see Itachi with Kiba on his back. Kiba hopped off Itachi's back and ran over to us to regroup. He was trying to tell us frantically what had happened, but Shino told him to calm down and Kiba did just that…or at least, tried. Meanwhile with Itachi, he just looked at us and sighed in relief.

"Nii-san!" Sasuke exclaimed. "Naruto is—"

Itachi nodded. "I know…you can put him down, Anko-san."

And just like that, Anko dropped Sasuke like a sack of potatoes. Sasuke was quick to land on his feet and then jump towards Itachi to give his older brother a hug. Itachi returned the hug, smiling as he held Sasuke in his arms. There was something off about Itachi, though. The melancholic look in his eyes was hard to ignore.

"Sasuke…there's something I need to tell you." Just hearing Itachi say that…whatever it was—it wasn't good.

"Wh-What is it, Nii-san?" Sasuke caught on.

"I'm…going to get Naruto back," Itachi began. "I can promise you that I'll do anything to bring him back safely. Shisui entrusted Naruto into my care and I'll make sure to follow through with what Shisui would have done, had he still been alive. Before anything, I need you to promise me this…"

"What?" Sasuke asked.

"Promise you'll keep Naruto safe." It felt strange to see Itachi say something like that to Sasuke. "Make sure he never stops smiling. Make sure he won't ever be alone. Make sure…he knows that he's important."

Sasuke looked at Itachi with disbelief. "Why are you saying stuff like this? Nii-san…what's going to happen?"

"Just promise me, Sasuke…" Itachi repeated.

Sasuke hesitated at first, but then nodded. "I promise."

"Good." Itachi smiled warmly as he poked Sasuke on the forehead. "Congratulations on activating your Sharingan. I'm sorry can't do anything right now—goodbye."

Before any of us could even say anything to Itachi, he left without saying another word. Minutes passed, we stayed in our place, just waiting. We were anticipating the outcome of Itachi's interference. Nothing was happening. It was quiet—too quiet.

After a total of twenty minutes, Iruka came back, carrying an unconscious Naruto in his arms. We were quick to swarm him, now that Naruto was back with us. He was still out cold, but for now, we were just happy he was back with us. Then we noticed that Itachi was missing.

"Iruka-sensei, where's Nii-san?" Sasuke asked.

Iruka grimaced. "I'm sorry, Sasuke…but Itachi-san won't be coming back."

"What?" The look on Sasuke's face was just heartbreaking. "Wh-Why?!"

"It was the only way he could get Naruto back," Iruka explained. "Those two wanted him—not Naruto. They knew how close Naruto was to all of you and him…"

"That's why they kidnapped him…" There was just something extremely scary about being right about the things you don't want right. This was it…I had been hoping that Orochimaru and Sasori weren't here to recruit Itachi—but they had. And because of that, Itachi was gone—no, not yet.

That's what Sasuke seemed to think, as he seemed about ready to run after Itachi, but Anko stopped him. Sasuke struggled and started calling out for Itachi, telling him to come back. When he received no response, Sasuke started crying. He continued calling out for Itachi, even as Anko and Iruka escorted us out of the forest and to the hospital.

As much as we wanted to follow after Itachi—to bring him back—we were in no condition to be going anywhere but the hospital. Unlike last time, the nurses learned their lesson and gave us rooms close to each other. That was where we met up with Hinata and Chōji. Neither of them was harmed in any manner, but was mostly there for a check-up—just in case. Shino and Kiba were also in a similar state.

Naruto was surprisingly unharmed, but he was placed in a hospital room. He hasn't woken up yet… Sasuke had to be sedated, due to how upset he had been and how much he struggled to escape. He had a couple of scrapes, here and there, but nothing too serious. Meanwhile with Shikamaru, he was on the verge of chakra exhaustion, what with his Kagemane eating up a lot of his chakra. Neji had a rather nasty bruise on his abdomen and, upon closer inspection, actually had a cracked rib. Adrenaline had a hand in masking the pain of his fractured rib, which is why he said absolutely nothing about it when he had carried me on his back.

As for me, I had it worse. I had bruises around my neck, torso, and legs—the type that comes from being immobilized and almost strangled and crushed to death. My ribs had been bruised, which explained why it hurt to breathe. My ankle had been broken (courtesy of Orochimaru), but otherwise, I haven't been too badly injured.

At least, that's what Sakura told me when she went to check up on us. When I had asked her about our friend in the shadows, Sakura frowned and told me that he wasn't doing too well. That the poison was too complex, which is why many medic-nin and their assistants were going to be working together to make an antidote to counteract the poison. The fact that medic-nin assistants were involved showed just how desperate they were.

"I'm going to be helping," Sakura said. "I've never done this before…"

"Are you scared?" I found myself asking Sakura.

Sakura nodded. "Yeah, but I'm okay…how are you doing?"

"Fine, if a little bit in pain." I got told that was normal, despite having been healed my medic-nin. I'm just glad I'll be able to start walking in a few days… "Good luck with your job."

"Thank you." Sakura smiled at me and then left the room.

…

…

And within the next twenty-four hours, an antidote had been created. Many medic-nin had a hand in the antidote's production, but Haruno Sakura had been given honorable mention for her careful work and main contribution for concocting an antidote. It had been the first time someone as young as Sakura, a medic-nin's assistant, no less, had accomplished such a feat.

When we heard the news…well, all of us, sans Sasuke and Naruto, both of whom were still unconscious, we set out of our rooms to look for Sakura. When we found her, minding her own business, still receiving praise from passing nurses and medic-nin, we pulled her into a group hug. Sakura seemed to appreciate the action, as she had been extremely stressed throughout the whole antidote concocting process.

"I was so scared," Sakura confessed. "I still can't believe I even did that…"

"P-People are talking about you!" Hinata brought up.

"You're showing a lot of promise for someone as young as you," Neji added.

Sakura thought for a moment and nodded. "Yeah…thanks."

"Hey…how is ANBU-san?" Kiba decided to ask. "Did you get to see his face?"

Sakura shook her head. "No…assistants weren't allowed into the room and only a few medic-nin entered the room. They were mostly there to restrain ANBU-san when the head medic-nin used the Saikan Chuushutsu no Jutsu to extract the poison from his body. I heard it's quite painful."

"Yeesh…" I'm starting to have flashbacks of Sakura extracting poison from Kankurō's body. Imagining that happening to our little friend in the shadows is a bit discomforting. Hopefully, our friend is doing fine.

"I feel bad for ANBU-san." Chōji frowned.

"At least he's healing," Shikamaru remarked.

"Speaking of healing—what are you guys doing out of your rooms?" Sakura looked sternly at us.

"We heard the good news and wanted to congratulate you," Shino replied. "Was it too much or not enough?"

Sakura looked at Shino for a moment and laughed. "No, it's fine…just I don't think the nurses will appreciate you guys leaving your rooms."

"Well, we're going to check up on Naruto, so if you can keep the nurses away from us, that'll be just lovely." I'm honestly surprised that Naruto has been unconscious for this long. Then again, Orochimaru had been the one to knock him out…

"I'll see what I can do." Sakura sighed. "But be careful."

…

When we entered Naruto's hospital room, the he had just woken up. He was in the process of rubbing his eyes when he recalled what happened and quickly looked at us.

"What happened to you, Chōko-chan?!" Naruto must have noticed the crutches I was using in the meantime until my ankle completely healed.

"Nothing too badly, ahaha…" I'm _really_ glad Naruto wasn't there to see Orochimaru break my ankle. I'm not too sure about how Shikamaru, Neji, and Sasuke felt…speaking of Sasuke, Naruto seemed to have noticed he wasn't in the room.

"Where's Sasuke?" Naruto asked as he looked around the room.

"Sasuke-kun is still unconscious," Shino replied. "Sakura-san said that he'll be waking within the hour."

"Oh…what about ANBU-san?" Naruto frowned. "Is he…?"

"He's still alive," Shikamaru was quick to answer. "Thanks to Sakura and the other medic-nin, they managed to make an antidote for the poison in his bloodstream."

"Eeugh, please don't mention blood…" Kiba looked queasy.

"We really need to work on your hemophobia…" Otherwise, poor Kiba will never make it far into the shinobi life.

"Hana is already working on it," Kiba remarked.

"H-How is it going?" Hinata asked.

"Still have a long ways to go," Kiba sighed. "That's enough about me, though! Hey, hey…Naruto…you wanna go check up on Sasuke?"

At that moment, we all heard the door opened and we immediately turned to see whom it was. We were expecting a nurse, one who came to investigate the outburst Naruto had made earlier. Of course, instead of a nurse, it was Sasuke who had entered the room. Well, speak of the devil.

Sasuke stared at us for a moment before shifting his attention to Naruto. Slowly, Sasuke began walking toward Naruto. The closer he got, the more noticeable it was that he had been crying. I wouldn't blame Sasuke for crying and, honestly, I'm amazed that none of us is crying yet. Then again, maybe there's this small hope that Itachi will come back, even though Iruka said otherwise. We haven't received word of what had happened just yet and maybe we all thought that Itachi would soon return to us.

That made me think—Naruto hasn't heard about Itachi yet. He doesn't know that Itachi took his place. That's probably why Sasuke is having a hard time saying anything to Naruto. It was only until Sasuke was hugging Naruto, an act that caught the blond by complete surprise, that Sasuke finally said something.

"Nii-san's g-gone," Sasuke's voice nearly cracked. "H-He's gone."

"Wh-What?" Naruto's eyes widened.

"Nii-san said…he would bring you back, no matter what," Sasuke explained. "And he did…but now he's gone—and the nurses outside are saying he's left the village. They're calling him a traitor!"

Whatever hope we had in Itachi returning to us was shattered as gossip from hospital nurses only confirmed that people were now talking about it. And the content of said gossip only concerned us to the extent that Naruto was near seconds away from a panic attack as he and the rest of us started crying.

If Shisui were here, he wouldn't have wanted us to cry. Unfortunately, he wasn't here and to make matters worse, neither was Itachi and that really just made what would have been Shisui's sixteenth birthday, which was yesterday, a day we wouldn't be forgetting anytime soon.

Sometimes, life really just sucked…

…

…

A few days passed and all of us were released from the hospital. We returned to the Academy not long after that, where Sasuke now faced scrutiny from his own classmates—mostly boys who have been jealous of his academic prowess and popularity amongst his female classmates. It was during what should have been a typical lunchtime that a boy named Hibachi and his friends started pushing Sasuke around.

"You shouldn't bother to show your face after what your brother had done!" Hibachi said rather harshly as he pushed Sasuke onto the ground.

I was seconds away from beating down Hibachi with my fists, as I don't like it when people pick on my friends—especially if it's about touchy subjects. But Chōji stopped me, saying that Sasuke should be able to handle it. And dammit, I knew Chōji was right, but just…Hibachi is a dick. He's always picking on Naruto whenever he thinks none of us is looking and just… I _really_ want to smash his face into the ground.

Hibachi usually refrained from picking on Sasuke, for fear of negative attention shifting on him for doing such a thing. Though, considering recent events and Sasuke was currently receiving mixed reception from his own classmates…Hibachi decided now was a good time as any to vent out his usual feelings of repressed jealousy toward Sasuke.

"Your brother is a traitor!" Hibachi taunted. "That makes you a traitor, too!"

"Traitor~! Traitor~!" Hibachi's friends started repeating in a typically childish derisive tone.

Sasuke scowled at Hibachi as he stood up. "Nii-san isn't a traitor…"

"Then what _is_ he?" Hibachi asked, looking expectantly at Sasuke for an answer.

"A hero!" Sasuke exclaimed. "Naruto is still here because of him. If it wasn't for him, Naruto would be gone."

Hibachi arched his brow at Sasuke. "Eh? Really? Well, he should have stayed instead of letting trash like _him_ stay. Unlike your brother, Naruto isn't worth keeping. It's _all_ **his** fault we lost your brother. We're better off without him—Aaaugh!"

Sasuke had just finished punching Hibachi directly in the face.

_Crack!_

There was a sickening crack that resounded upon Sasuke's fist coming in contact with Hibachi's nose. There was no doubt that Sasuke had broken Hibachi's nose—and he fucking deserved it for saying what he said. Sasuke was completely furious as, right after he had punched Hibachi in the face, he tackled the boy onto the ground and started punching him over and over again in the face.

"Take. It. Back." Sasuke said between punches and strained teeth, repeating constantly, almost like a mantra of sorts.

We all watched, too shocked to do anything. It took only until Kiba could see the blood on Hibachi's face that he finally managed to force himself to run off so he could do his best to calm himself down, what with his hemophobia still troubling him. By then, five minutes had already passed and Hibachi's friends started trying to pull Sasuke off Hibachi, but to no avail. Sasuke was just too mad to allow himself to be removed, or let anyone get in his way.

It was Naruto who was able to successfully pull Sasuke off of Hibachi. Hibachi was practically unrecognizable. Blood and bruises covered his face and after Hibachi coughed a few times, he spat out a couple of bloody teeth. Hibachi's friends took this as a time to take Hibachi away from us, afraid that Sasuke might really kill him.

Once Hibachi and his friends were out of our sight, Sasuke finally managed to calm down. He was breathing heavily, his anger taking a while to subside. Once it had occurred to him what had happened, he latched onto Naruto and tried his best to keep himself from crying.

"I…don't blame you," Sasuke told Naruto. "I don't blame you at all. You're important…that's why Nii-san made sure to bring you back—even if it meant leaving. Just…don't let those idiots get you down."

It's honestly touching how Sasuke doesn't blame Naruto at all for the fact that Itachi is no longer in Konoha. It gave all of us a sense of relief and comfort, just knowing that nothing has really changed about how we feel about each other…except maybe Sasuke feeling strongly about how close he felt to Naruto. After all, apart from us, Naruto was all Sasuke had left of his life before his entire clan was killed, now that Itachi was gone.

Sasuke didn't get in much trouble for what he did to Hibachi, but he did get a warning. Sasuke didn't really care about it, though…and Hibachi couldn't really forget what Sasuke had done to him. Even after his injuries had been healed, Hibachi decided to get even with us.

…

The next week, during class, as Iruka-sensei was lecturing the class, I was trying my best to pay attention, even though I was nodding off. Sometimes, I had a hard time staying away during lectures and it was only because of Hinata's notes that I managed to get as far as I have done, academically. Unlike most times, the reason I was falling asleep was because nightmares have been keeping me up last night. Events regarding the day of what should have been Shisui's sixteenth birthday were hard to forget…

Just as I had effectively nodded off, I felt something cold and scaly brush my arm. I immediately woke up, my body tense and my eyes alert. When I found myself looking at a relatively harmless garter snake had somehow crawled into my sight, I let out an earsplitting scream. It was loud enough to bring all attention on me, thereby disrupting Iruka-sensei's lesson, but I could care less about that, if only because there was a fucking _snake_ right on my desk!

"Aaah-aaaaaah-aaaaaaaaahhh—Getitawaygetitawaygetitaway!" For the love of god, just get it the fuck away from me!

It was Iruka-sensei who removed the garter snake from the classroom, as I stayed in the corner, crying my eyes out as my friends tried to calm me. It was Hibachi who had thought it would be funny to bring in a snake, having heard about our bad experience with snakes. Iruka-sensei punished Hibachi accordingly and sent me to the infirmary to recover.

I found out that day that my near-death experience with Orochimaru left me with a crippling fear of snakes. Because of that stupid snake bastard, I developed a phobia of snakes… There was nothing funny about this. Every time I looked at a snake now, all I could think about is the little snake that had been coiled around my neck and the giant snake that tried to crush me. It was difficult to forget—and it didn't help that it added more to the nightmares I've been having.

I never appreciated the irony that has inflicted my life and I still don't. I was honestly pissed off that I went from liking snakes in my past life to being terrified of them in this life. And it was all thanks to Orochimaru that had happened.

Even Kiba wasn't on my level in terms of how his phobia affected him. And, unlike my phobia of snakes, Kiba's hemophobia would get in the way of his potential career as a ninja. Not to say the same wouldn't happen to me, it was just that a phobia of blood was the worst thing to have when you're living the shinobi life. Snakes…they can be avoided. Blood cannot.

As I was discussing this with my friends on our way out of the Academy, now that classes were over, we neared the Academy tree swing. We usually took turns on the swings whenever something stressful has happened to us. And considering what had happened today, I needed the tree swing… However, it was already being occupied by a child close to our age.

Normally, we would have just gone our merry way to do something else, like going to an Akimichi clan restaurant or to Ichiraku Ramen. Then I got a closer look at the child on the tree swing. It was a boy with short, red hair, wearing clothes that were unlike typical Konohagakure wear and seemed more suited for a desert environment.

The boy eyed us with his sea-foam green eyes that were encircled with black eye-rings that reminded me of a raccoon. The boy lacked eyebrows and carried a gourd on his back. And on the left side of his forehead, was the kanji 愛, for love.

I honestly should have recognized him from the start, but it was just so unreal, seeing this kid here, of all places, at this time and day, years early before he was even supposed to _be_ in Konohagakure.

And yet, there he was, in all his eight-year-old glory, Sabaku no Gaara.

…

…

…

* * *

><p>AN AND I MADE ANOTHER LONG CHAPTER. BEHOLD OVER 10000 WORDS! AAAAH, it just feels so good to be able to write so much for this story. It's been a while since I wrote this much…

That aside, a lot of stuff happened in this chapter. For one thing, Orochimaru and Sasori, for another thing, Itachi left his village, and to top it all off, Chōko has ophidiophobia (fear of snakes). Course, I wouldn't blame Chōko for what she had to put up with, what with Orochimaru being his usual discomforting self. Definitely do NOT let around children.

So yeah, let me get into an explanation I should have made last chapter. The reason Itachi and Sasuke are alive is because they were at the summer festival with everyone else. Itachi's behavior of wanting to enjoy every little moment stems from the fact that he WAS supposed to kill his entire clan…but someone else got there before he did. And so, if you really think about it, it was all luck. That is pretty much the reason why Itachi was being questioned and suspected, in case any of you guys were wondering.

Moving on from there, you guys do recall that Orochimaru used to be part of the Akatsuki. And that Sasori was his partner. Which is why the both of them were there. And the reason they were there in the first place was to recruit Itachi because, as mentioned before, as Itachi didn't leave his village, since he had no reason to, there was basically nothing keeping the Akatsuki out of Konoha.

And remember how I set the Chuunin exams in Amegakure? I kinda just found out (really, I just _remembered_) that the Akatsuki base is in Ame and just…considering what had happened in Ame, I'm pretty sure the Akatsuki would have seen Itachi in action and it is pretty difficult to ignore talent.

I'm honestly surprised with how well this turned out, even though I only picked out Amegakure because I live in California and we needed rain and, ironically enough, we started _getting_ rain…a lot of it. AND IT IS FUCKING AWESOME.

And Sakura managed to create a name for herself at such a young age. AGAIN, I am quite happy with how Sakura is developing on her own. Only eight-years-old and she managed to help create an antidote to Sasori's poison, many years before she did it when Kankurō was poisoned. Course, she had help this time around, unlike in canon, where she did it on her own…but then again, she had more experience and Tsunade as a mentor, so there's that. At least she saved our favorite dog-masked ANBU from death.

Also, Naruto and Sasuke are as close as brothers are. That won't be changing anytime soon. Now that Itachi is gone, Naruto and Sasuke just have each other back home. Sasuke does face some mistreatment, considering what Itachi had done, but Sasuke doesn't blame Naruto. Sasuke is actually proud of what his brother had done. Itachi had sacrificed himself for Naruto…that's all Sasuke cares about and not what others say, which is that Itachi is a traitor.

By the by, Neji/Chōko is still the most supported pairing, with Shikamaru/Chōko in second, and with Naruto/Chōko being a recently introduced one. I know it's a bit too early for romance, but I have lots of time to build up chemistry. I just find it intriguing with what people think. Again, this is mostly something for me to keep in mind. As I said before, nothing is set in stone unless otherwise.

Anyways, shout out to **nic611** for being reviewer #80! I would give out a shout out to reviewer #90, but I keep getting anonymous reviewers and I'm fine with that, but I just wish you guys would give yourselves a name to differentiate yourselves. It makes it easier on me, so I'll just give an honorable mention to **clashingHeartsofChocolate** and **Mangafreak666**. Now I'll give a big shout out to **Veedramon** for being reviewer #100. And since reviewer #110 is also an anonymous reviewer with no means of differentiating themselves, apart from the huge "DOOOOOOOOM" (eight o's—nice!), I'll just give an honorable mention to **Weirdchick27**. And one last shout out to **Angel4EverLostInLife**, for being reviewer #111! Damn, that was a lot of shout outs, but I got a lot of reviews this time around and just…thank you so much, everyone!

Also, I bet you guys didn't know that, after 12-24-14, I would have been writing for over six years already! That's a lot of time spent writing, but I really do enjoy what I do and I appreciate that people take the time to read my stories. Again, it really just means a lot to me, so thank you so much! ^^

I guess that's about it for this chapter. I hope you guys enjoyed it. Please excuse any mistake I might have made. This chapter was somewhat difficult to write, but I managed to get it done! So until next time, everyone! KD out! XD


	19. Gaara

I'm not exactly sure how long I stared at Gaara. All I know is that I soon found myself watching Naruto as he decided to introduce himself to Gaara.

"Are you from around here?" Naruto asked. "Because you sure don't look like it-ttebayo! Anyways, it's nice to meet you! I'm Uzumaki Naruto! What's your name?"

Gaara seemed practically surprised to have someone such as Naruto just approach him so suddenly. It was probably the first time anyone has ever done that to him. Which is why it wasn't a surprise that Gaara pushed Naruto away from himself.

_Thud!_

Naruto landed rear-first onto the ground. He yelped and rubbed his backside, glaring at Gaara, who was no longer sitting on the swing. Gaara just stared at Naruto, who just continued glaring at him.

"What the hell was that for, dattebayo?!" Naruto scowled. "I was just asking for your name—huh?!"

Gaara stared at Naruto for a moment and then turned his attention to us, the rest of his friends. I think we were honestly too shocked to say anything. We barely even knew this kid, even more so since it was obvious he wasn't from Konoha. It didn't help that Gaara had used his sand to push Naruto back. _That_ was what mostly had our attention.

It's just so surreal seeing something, such as sand, just hovering around a little kid like Gaara. It was nothing we were accustomed to seeing and after our encounter with Orochimaru, that's definitely saying a lot.

"Do you…hate me?" Gaara finally spoke.

Naruto blinked. "Hate…? Why?"

This time, Gaara looked confused instead of just Naruto. He backed away from Naruto, who had finally stood up and was currently making eye contact with the redhead. Naruto kept walking closer to Gaara, who just backed away in response. Gaara yelped when he ended up bumping into the swing that had been behind him. Were it not for his sand, Gaara would have fallen back onto the ground.

As his sand helped him regain his balance, Gaara stared at Naruto, somewhat unnerved with how the blond continued to stare back. This was probably the first time someone had ever taken an interest in him in such a manner.

"Your eyes," Naruto said. "I know those eyes."

If I recall, Gaara was six years old when he was lied to by Yashamaru about never being loved (which is a sack of horseshit). He's eight years old and, if I can even recall his birthday…he's older than Shino by a few days or so. Four days or so—go away, number four! You are a _horrible_ number in this world.

I mean Namikaze Minato was the Fourth Hokage and he ended up dying, and Gaara's father, Rasa, is the Fourth Kazekage and while he's not dead yet, he does eventually die… I just noticed that both Naruto and Gaara are quite similar in many ways and that's the most fucking obvious thing I have ever thought. Can you say, "No shit, Sherlock"?

That aside, I already brought up the fact that four years are all we have left before graduation comes and the Rookie 9 becomes a thing. And that Shisui was turning sixteen this year (four times four, you can't get any worse than that). And guess what happened on that day? We lost Itachi to the Akatsuki. And if that wasn't enough, the Uchiha clan, one out of the FOUR Noble Clans of Konoha, ended up…yeah… Really, the number four is just a _horrible_ number in this world.

I'm quite tired of it, actually…but I digress. I should be more concerned about the fact that Naruto was interacting with an unstable Gaara. This is pre-Chuunin exams Gaara, capable of killing people without a second thought. Cold, distant, and murderous—I have every reason to tell everyone to leave this kid be. But I'm not, because I'm paying extremely close attention to how Naruto and Gaara interact.

And Naruto had just noticed some of the similarities between himself and Gaara. Of course, it's been years since Naruto has ever been alone, but memories as depressing as those were hard to forget. That's why Naruto doesn't want to leave Gaara alone, even though Gaara would very much like it if he were left alone.

"Those sad, lonely eyes," Naruto continued.

Gaara did not take too well to Naruto's comment and it showed when sand suddenly swarmed Naruto and forcefully flung him into a nearby wall. Naruto would have slammed into the wall, had it not been for our little friend in the shadows. The dog-masked ANBU caught Naruto before he hit the wall and then gently set him down before dashing off to prevent Sasuke from attacking Gaara.

The attack would have been rendered useless, what with Gaara being protected by his sand. But our little friend in the shadows wasn't exactly going to risk Sasuke's well-being, should Gaara's sand take it a step further and hurt him in the process of shielding Gaara. As the dog-masked ANBU—Hound, I believe his name was, from what I heard at the hospital—tried to talk some sense into Sasuke, Neji, Hinata, Shikamaru, Chōji, Shino, and Kiba ran to Naruto's side, all of them very much concerned about their friend's well-being. Meanwhile with me, I stayed behind and focused all my attention on Gaara, who was now observing the scene before him, which was Naruto being fussed about by his friends.

I was rather mad, but for a moment, I could see the longing and pain within Gaara's eyes. I thought he would have already discarded any desires for friendship by now…but I guess two years isn't enough to completely smother it. Just like Neji during the Kagome Kagome incident, Gaara was still just a child…and time was something that still existed for him at the moment.

Swallowing hard, I approached Gaara, with no one there to stop me, as Hound was still too busy lecturing Sasuke and Naruto was occupied with laughing off his friends' concerns in an attempt to ease their worries. Gaara was still distracted with watching Naruto that it was only until his sand had caused me to trip that he shifted his attention on me.

_Thud!_

Ow…I do not appreciate being tripped—especially if it causes my glasses to fall off my face. The only reason I haven't invested in eyewear that would negate such a problem, as I have been suggested to, is because I need to be able to take my glasses off with ease—for my shurikenjutsu. That aside, it is an annoyance, but I'm getting off topic and I need to find my glasses because talking to Gaara when he appears to me as nothing but a bit of a red blur is not exactly something I wish to do.

As I fumbled around the ground for my glasses, I felt grains of sand move and soon, my hand came across the familiar frame of my circular glasses. I picked them up and placed them on before focusing my gaze on Gaara, who now seemed nervous instead of cold and distant, as he had been earlier.

Gaara struggled to find his voice as I got off the ground and dusted the dirt off my clothes. I was a little surprised to see that I was slightly taller than Gaara…slightly. I wasn't exactly the tallest person in my circle of friends. Even Hinata, who was also quite short herself, had a couple of more centimeters on herself in comparison to me. And Naruto…Naruto was actually amongst the tallest of our group, as a result of the proper nutrition he has received from eating Akimichi clan food. Who knew that his short height had just been a result of a poor nutrition?

I remembered that Gaara had been born prematurely, which could have had a hand in his slightly smaller stature. The more I stared at Gaara, the more he struggled to say something. He reminded me of…well, me. So I decided to help him out and took initiative in breaking the ice between us.

"Eat?" I still wasn't good at talking to people I barely knew and it was a bit of a nervous habit of mine to resort to saying, between two words, "eat" or "food", in situations such as these.

But, to my complete surprise, Gaara nodded his head and followed me as I walked him over to Naruto and the others. Everyone had been silent when they saw me with Gaara and when Sasuke rushed over to Naruto and shielded him from Gaara's sight, Gaara finally spoke and told us his name.

"I'm Suna no Gaara," is what he told us and, from there, after a brief introduction from the rest of us, he came along with us as we went into town.

Sasuke was still wary of Gaara, Naruto was trying to get close to Gaara, and Gaara was just overtly cautious of his position. He was willing to take his chances, but at the same time, he was on edge. It took me a while to realize that no one in Konoha knows whom Gaara is, so with no one looking at him, as if he was a monster, Gaara had seen an opening. And his cautious behavior was an insecurity that we would eventually find out and leave him.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that Gaara is lying to us or rather, depriving us of information about himself. I know this kid has killed, even more so than we'll probably ever kill within our shinobi career (that hasn't start yet for any of us—Gaara included). My thoughts are starting to hit morbid territory. At the same time, the realization of why Gaara was doing this is sad.

Just when Gaara had given up all desire for friendship, he receives an opening in the form of an unexpected visit to Konohagakure, amongst people who don't know his past. The one moment he puts aside the intent to kill in order to prove his own existence and to gain recognition from his own village and it's to make friends (I'm assuming that is his intent from our interactions). Again, it's just sad.

It just got even sadder when I noticed that Gaara had noticed the stares Naruto was receiving from the owners of the convenience store we were visiting. God dammit, I'm not supposed to be having feels—go away, tears!

"Are you c-crying, Chōko-chan?" Hinata suddenly asked me.

"N-No—I just got something in my eye!" I said…you know, like a liar, as I took off my glasses in order to rub my eyes. "Can we talk about this some other time?"

I'd rather not do it here, where we could potentially cause a scene.

"Aww, is leader worrying about something?" Kiba asked as he plopped himself onto my back, with his head propped on top of mine—because Kiba has no sense of personal space and likes to remind me of how short I am.

By the by, somehow…I am still leader. I don't know why, but everyone refused to hear me out when I told them I wasn't fit to be leader. Despite my reckless actions during our confrontation with Orochimaru and Sasori, my friends still trust me and just…it's touching, really. I do recall crying when they told me that at the hospital. Because I am still emotional as ever, and that might be something that won't ever change about me—no matter how hard I try.

…

"So why is it that you were crying?" Shino asked me, moments after we had all left the convenience store.

"I just don't like how people keep staring at Naruto." Technically, I'm not lying, since I _really_ hate the way Naruto is treated (which is still a hell of a lot better than it had been before I had befriended him and the circle of friends became a thing). And my friends know how much I get worked up over something such as that, so everyone just chalked it up as Chōko being Chōko.

Since I had brought it up, Gaara decided to ask Naruto, "Why _do_ they stare at you?"

Gaara's question had caught Naruto off-guard. It had probably been a while since Naruto last even thought about the stares he usually received from the people of Konoha.

"I don't know," was all Naruto could even say. "But I don't care—I'm not alone! Right, Chōko-chan?"

"That's right!" My response was almost automatic, yet reassuring to Naruto, who just smiled widely.

"And you're not alone, too, Gaara!" Naruto's words garnered a rather shocked reaction from Gaara, who had dropped the huge bag of snacks he had bought for himself at the convenience store.

"I'm not…alone…" Gaara repeated Naruto's words.

Naruto nodded his head and proceeded to pick up Gaara's scattered snacks off the ground. "That's right—you have us!"

As if to make a point, the rest of us started helping Naruto with picking up Gaara's snacks off the ground. Only Sasuke refrained from doing so, his gaze still on Gaara, who just stared back. It was probably difficult for Sasuke to forget the fact that Gaara had flung Naruto into a wall…but after seeing how accepting Naruto was, Sasuke decided to stop holding a grudge and started helping the rest of us out.

And Gaara just continued to stare at us, not knowing how to react. Unlike Naruto, Gaara managed to stay calm and composed, but he did seem content.

…

Afterwards, we visited an Akimichi clan restaurant, where all of us took the time to get to know Gaara. Shikamaru was straight to the point, asking Gaara why someone from Sunagakure was doing in Konohagakure.

"My father is here for some business with your Hokage," Gaara explained calmly. "I don't know the details, but…did something happen here?"

I grimaced. "Yeah, about nearly two weeks ago—we don't like to talk about it."

I mean, we lost Itachi, Orochimaru tried to kill me, Hound got poisoned by Sasori—the list goes on. It was psychologically traumatizing. Speaking of Sasori, I'm starting to connect the dots. It's because of _his_ appearance in Konohagakure (with Orochimaru) that brought the Kazekage here for business with the Hokage. And I doubt Rasa will risk leaving Gaara behind in Sunagakure, so that would explain why Gaara is even here in the first place.

Damn, that's quite the domino effect…I should be concerned, but I'm not. Bluh.

"So who's your father?" Naruto asked after he finished off his seventh bowl of udon.

Gaara blinked a few times and nodded his head. "He's the Kazekage."

Naruto was a little confused as to what Gaara meant until Shikamaru explained it all. Afterwards, Naruto looked ecstatically at Gaara.

"Really?!" Naruto exclaimed. "That's awesome!"

"Not really…" Gaara replied as he picked at his food with his chopsticks. He was eating salted tongue and gizzard, by the way. I'm honestly surprised my clan's restaurants even serve this type of food, but eh, you learn something new every day. I'm quite partial to tongue, anyways—I grew up in a typical Mexican family in my past life. There are _a lot_ of things I have eaten or _seen_ eaten that I don't even question. So I'm quite open-minded about food…for the most part. I still do have my moments, but it's more of me reacting in a way to finding out that it _can_ be eaten and—_ooh_, my tonkatsu is here!

"Isn't that your fifth plate?" Why yes, Gaara, it is.

"Isn't that _your_ fifth plate, too?" Two can play at that game.

"Sixth, actually." Damn, I suck at counting sometimes!

"You guys eat a lot." Well, no shit, Kiba, you're looking at two jinchuuriki and a girl with a fast-metabolism. Oh wait, only some of that information isn't classified—never mind!

Now I feel stupid…good thing I didn't say anything! I'm just gonna eat now before I do…Om nom nom…

"Slow down, Chōko-san," Neji tried to warn me. "You don't want to choke."

I stopped chewing and stared at Neji for a moment. Ever since the incident on Shisui's birthday, Neji has been quite overprotective of me. Well, to be fair, everyone has been, with Sasuke, Shikamaru, and Neji being the most prominent of the bunch—they watched as Orochimaru broke my ankle. I think that's enough reason to worry about me.

Shikamaru certainly worries a lot when I say something without thinking. Which is why the jerk has been using his Kagemane on me to shut me up. It gives him practice and it keeps me out of trouble. I still don't appreciate it because he keeps doing it without warning me!

And let me tell you about the Kagemane—it _feels_ weird. As if something or someone is touching your entire body and moving you like a puppet—except no one is there. It's kinda creepy the more I think about it and I should stop getting distracted and focus on the fact that Gaara wants to ask me a question.

"What is it, Gaara?" I'm glad I didn't blurt _that_ out.

"Are you and Chōji siblings?" Gaara asked as he looked at Chōji and me, most likely finding similarities in our facial markings and the fact that we wore the same clothes.

"Yeah…we're fraternal twins," I replied. "Chōji's older than me by thirteen minutes though—say, do you have any siblings?"

Gaara blinked and looked down. "…"

Oh crap, I hope I didn't bring up a touchy subject. I know Temari and Kankurō aren't exactly the closest to Gaara in this current day and age.

"Two of them," Gaara suddenly said, catching me off-guard. "A brother and a sister, both older than me…we're not that close."

"Eeeeh?" Naruto looked perplexed. "You're not?"

Gaara shook his head. "They're…busy."

More like they're not allowed to interact with you and you might have scared the shit out of them with death threats, but details.

"Ah, I see…" Naruto seemed to understand. "Say…do you want to see our brother, Shisui?"

Gaara tilted his head to the side. "Brother?"

Naruto grinned widely. "Yeah! What do you say, leader?"

"Well, I don't mind paying Shisui a visit." So long as Hound is following us, then I'm fine going to Naruto's house…the paranoia is hard to ignore.

…

…

I'm pretty sure Gaara was confused when we took him out into the backyard, where Shisui's tree was growing. He was expecting a person…and when Naruto gestured at the tree and introduced it as Shisui, Gaara stared at the tree for a good three minutes.

"It's a tree," was all he said.

Tch, yeah, it's a tree—a magnolia, to be precise! And it sure is growing healthy and fast. Must be the Yamanaka touch…speaking of Yamanaka, I wonder how Ino is doing at Yamanaka Flowers…Probably bored, as usual. Maybe we should do her a favor and sneak her out—that sounds like a good idea and I am _such_ a bad influence.

"It might be a tree, but it's also Shisui-nii!" Naruto explained to Gaara. "I read somewhere that if you want to keep a soul in this world, then you plant a tree over their grave! And because we planted this tree over his ashes, it absorbed Shisui-nii's soul and keeps him here with us-ttebayo!"

"…So the actual Shisui is dead?" That's all Gaara seemed to have gathered from Naruto's explanation.

Naruto pouted. "He's not dead! That's Shisui-nii right there, looking over all of us, dattebayo!"

"And one isn't truly dead until they are forgotten," Shino brought up. "That is what Shisui-san told us."

"And I doubt we'll ever forget a guy like him," Kiba remarked. "Thanks to him, Hanabi keeps calling me, Nana."

It's funny how that happened, because, up until then, Hanabi usually referred to Kiba as, "Ki-ki." Even though Hanabi is two years old and getting better and better at talking every day, when it comes to names, she hasn't really changed. I swear she's doing it deliberately. Of course, I don't have anything to really care about because I get called Chō-chō, Hinata is Nee, Neji is Nii, Shino is No-no, Shikamaru is Shika, Chōji is just Chō, and Itachi was Chi-chi…it's as funny as it sounds.

It was even funnier for me because of two reasons. Whenever Hanabi called Itachi, "Chi-chi", I kept thinking of Chi-Chi from the _Dragon Ball_ series. Then my immaturity kicked in and reminded me of what I _usually_ associated the term with—that being a certain slang term in Mexican Spanish that I grew up knowing, because past mom was like that. She is what I would refer to as a traditional Mexican mother…for _various_ reasons.

Now that Itachi is gone, any sense of humor there was with the nickname disappeared. Because Hanabi keeps asking us, "Where's Chi-chi?"

We have yet to tell her and just…it's complicated. Because if there's one thing I know about Hanabi, it's that milk and bananas are her favorite food. I've also learned a lot of things from the _Dragon Ball_ series, and that is that Chi-Chi's name is based on the word "Milk" in Japanese. I am aware that there are other meanings, but they are irrelevant because Hanabi deliberately calls Itachi, "Chi-chi" _because_ of the word, "milk."

You would not believe how much _hell_ Shisui gave Itachi when he made that connection. That was where most of the humor came from, because Itachi went from "weasel" to "milk" within a matter of seconds, thanks to Hanabi. Of course, it was also Shisui who pointed out that Hanabi was associating Itachi with something she loves—that being, milk, so, in hindsight, it was a rather affectionate nickname. Which is why we have yet to tell her anything about Itachi's departure, because it would devastate her.

A two-year-old, like Hanabi, doesn't need that.

"Is this Shisui…someone who loved you?" And I don't need the feels that come from analyzing Gaara's situation! Uugh, he's probably trying to see if there are any more similarities between him and Naruto—holy shit, there _is_ another similarity and that is just scary.

Shisui is basically to Naruto what Yashamaru is to Gaara—minus the lies and deceit. That is just…I need a moment.

"Shisui loved all of us," Sasuke decided to answer Gaara's question. "But he was the closest to Naruto…like brothers."

"Aren't you his brother?" Where the heck did you get that question from, Gaara? Wait, wasn't there this whole reincarnation bullshit that made Naruto and Sasuke technically brothers…?

…

Well, I need another moment.

"He's not my brother," Naruto was quick to say. "I mean…Sasuke?"

Sasuke has a certain look on his face, almost as if he had just recently made a connection and— "Not blood-related, at least—but yeah, we're brothers."

Well, looks like Sasuke is taken with the idea of him and Naruto being brothers. That's…adorable.

"I'm not calling you Nii-san, if that's what you want." Naruto's not denying it!

"I won't leave you, if that's what you're worried about." I think that settles it.

"What happened?" Aaaand Gaara unintentionally ruined the moment.

"People die—that's what happened." Sorry if I sound a little blunt and insensitive—that is totally not my intent. I just…rather not talk about it. "Sorry…"

"Are you having n-nightmares again?" Hinata asked me.

"She _was_ falling asleep in class," Shikamaru remarked as he turned his head to Chōji.

Chōji, don't you fucking say anything— "She had a nightmare about that snake guy again."

"Chōji!" I whined. "You said you wouldn't tell!"

"I wasn't…but then I saw you freak out when you saw a snake." Let it be known that Chōji was the overprotective older brother when he wanted to be.

"Stupid Hibachi," Naruto spat. "He's probably going to start picking on you, since you got him in a lot of trouble."

"Well, excuuuuse _me_ for having a snake phobia!" As if I could even control something like _that_! "I didn't even know I had one until today!"

Uugh, I'm getting goosebumps from even _thinking_ about that snake! Fucking Hibachi—I hope he steps on Legos! Wait…Legos don't exist in this world.

…

Dammit, there goes me _ever_ using that when I'm pissed off at someone! Now I'm pouting…that's the most appropriate term I could use, because I look and _feel_ like a child not getting their way. Okay, who's hugging me?!

"Sorry…you look like you needed one," Neji says after I tensed up. "Do you want me to stop?"

"No—I'm good with this." Hugs are nice…and speaking of hugs, Gaara looks like he also needs one. "Do you need a hug, Gaara?"

"What?" That definitely caught Gaara by surprised. I think it's safe to say that Gaara has never been asked that and—dammit, feels, go away!

"Chōko-chan asked if you want a hug," Naruto repeated. "Do you?"

Gaara clutched his head, almost as if he had been in pain. "Guh…"

"Is something wrong-ttebayo?" Naruto looked questioningly at Gaara. When Naruto took a step toward Gaara, Gaara backed away and yelled, "Stay away!"

I really didn't like the sound of that. While Gaara has managed to stay calm, so far, he still was rather unstable. Of course, only I knew that and when I saw Naruto walking closer to Gaara, purposely ignoring Gaara as he yelled at Naruto to stay away, out of concern for someone he barely even knew and probably considered a friend already…a surge of panic overtook my body.

I pulled myself out of Neji's embrace and ran towards Naruto. I could already feel my heart beginning to race as I thought about all the possible scenarios that could play out at this current moment. I should have known that what went up eventually came down.

Gaara's attempts at integrating himself within our circle of friends were no different. It was only natural that Gaara would come across a bump in the road: His inability to comprehend genuine compassion after the traumatizing experience of being betrayed.

Even if it was a lie, Gaara didn't know that and Yashamaru ruined any possible chances of Gaara accepting the fact that people _are_ capable of caring for him. Two years isn't a lot, but trust is something that is difficult to fix once broken. Like paper crumpled up and smoothed out afterwards. It'll never be the same again.

Naruto means well, but sometimes, his actions were like mine—without regard of consequences. While I had a knack at getting myself into trouble because of it, I'd rather not let the same happen to any of my friends. As I pushed Naruto out of the way from the wave of sand that had meant to hit him, instead of me, I realized something.

_This_ is why my friends still trust me.

Because I _care_.

As I lay on the ground, the impact of Gaara's attack having knocked me down, I find myself smiling upon hearing my friends call my name out of concern. I was hurt. Not too seriously, but still hurt…the pain was evident, as were the grains of sand that were still on me. I should be scared, and I am, but seeing my friends rush to my side was quite reassuring.

And I realized something else. This life—as complicated and frustrating as it was at times—wasn't so bad. Even if I did leave many people behind in my past life…even if it was quite the horrifying experience to live in a world, where child soldiers were the norm (because hey, that's what the shinobi life entails)…even if it meant experiencing the shitstorm the future was…I still don't mind.

Because I'm not alone.

…

Hound might have reacted a tad bit too late, but he was still there to protect us from Gaara, who was struggling to control whatever it was that was conflicting him—Shukaku, most likely. I have long since suspected Hound's identity from the day I first saw his mask. It only made sense as to why he would be tasked in watching over Naruto, who carried the Kyuubi inside of him.

It became painfully obvious when Gaara slowly began to calm down the longer he stared at Hound. And the silver hair was a dead giveaway to begin with, despite the fact that I have seen other inhabitants of this village who possessed the same hair color. The same hairstyle, on the other hand—not so much.

I still like to pretend that Hound's identity was still a mystery to me. It was all the more fun to play along, when the others start speculating what is under the mask. I once suggested another mask as a joke, to which Naruto quickly shot down because of how redundant it was. It was funny…because my joke held truth to it. It's nice enjoying irony in its harmless and humorous form.

Eventually, Gaara regained control of himself and stared in horror at the damage his instability had caused. He looked at every one of us, his gaze soon falling upon me. This was probably the first time in years (two, at least) that he had felt guilt about hurting someone. It was probably also confusing, because, up until today, Gaara had probably grown accustomed to killing people without hesitation. Then Gaara was approached by Naruto and I guess that's what threw him off.

Because Naruto had that effect on people.

Speaking of Naruto, he was struggling to understand the situation. When he had barely uttered Gaara's name, Gaara couldn't handle it anymore and ran off into Naruto's house. Naruto called out to Gaara before following him into the house, with Sasuke following him in, moments afterwards.

Hound sighed at the scene of events he had witness before looking back to check up on me. When he confirmed that I wasn't dying, Hound took off into the house, leaving the rest of us behind. By now, I was growing tired of laying on the ground and started to sit up. I struggled at first…then Kiba, the last person I would ever expect, held out his hand to help me.

Even now, Kiba is trying his hardest not to retch as he helped me stand up. It must have been complete torture for him to be around me, while I'm bleeding. The lengths people will go for those they care for is amazing. I just hope Kiba isn't straining himself.

Hinata tried to help Kiba out by covering his nose with a handkerchief she carried on herself. It helped a little, but not enough. Despite this, Kiba was thankful and when Shino pushed Kiba aside to take over, allowing the Inuzuka a chance to distance himself from the scent of blood, Kiba ran off to the farthest corner of the backyard and threw up in a couple of bushes.

I should focus on the current situation, but honestly, these Team 8 interactions are quite endearing to the point they are quite distracting. Shikamaru and Chōji brought my attention back to the fact that I was injured, with Neji offering to carry me to the hospital. I didn't get a chance to say anything because Shikamaru used his Kagemane on me to keep me still while Chōji picked me up and set me on Neji's back.

"I wasn't going to say no…" was the first thing I said when Shikamaru relinquished his hold on me. "And stop doing that! You're going to exhaust yourself!"

Did you not learn anything from our encounter with Orochimaru and Sasori?!

"I'm not risking anything around you, leader," Shikamaru remarked. "You're more trouble than you're worth sometimes."

"I guess you can say I'm troublesome." I grinned at Shikamaru he just stared at me.

"That was a bad, Chōko." I know, Chōji…I know.

…

…

…

* * *

><p>AN It's rather difficult working with young Gaara, especially since this is post-Yashamaru. Then again, in canon, Gaara never did leave Sunagakure at such a young age and met Naruto. And Chōko already made the connection as to why Gaara would even be in Konohagakure. Basically, you have Sasori to thank for Gaara's appearance. Because I doubt Hiruzen would ignore the fact that missing-nin from Suna infiltrated Konoha, alongside Orochimaru.

Seriously, that is quite the domino effect that basically starts with Itachi never leaving his village, because of the Uchiha Clan Massacre. And let me just say, it doesn't end there. There is still more to come.

That aside, Sasuke and Naruto consider each other brothers and I consider that an accomplishment. And if there's one thing I learned from **ChibiFoxAI**, there's this connection between Naruto and Sasuke involving them being the reincarnations of Kaguya's sons. I seriously need to sit down one of these days and just binge-read _Naruto_. Knowing me, I'll binge-read another part of _Jojo's Bizarre Adventure_ before that happens.

Chōko is still emotional as ever, with a protective side to her, as shown by how she took a hit for Naruto. Gaara is trying to take advantage of his situation in Konoha, but failing because Shukaku is still a thing and basically, Gaara is conflicted. The poor kid can't get a break. It's not always easy being a jinchuuriki.

Especially since Naruto can't fully sympathize just yet, because he isn't aware of his jinchuuriki status, like Gaara. And if anyone is wondering about the whole Mexican Spanish slang thing Chōko associates Itachi's nickname, "Chi-chi", it's because it can mean breasts. Again, Chōko is immature sometimes—she has established that.

And yes, I am Mexican. I make jokes about it with my friends, mostly in good humor since most of my friends are also Mexican (basically our way of relating to each other). We usually go on about the stuff we eat, like nopales (cactus), chicharrón (fried pork skin), and tongue, and also relate when it comes to our families (our mothers, most prominently)—especially when we're playing Cards Against Humanity (we are _horrible_ people).

That's enough about me. Also, in regards to Chōko's nickname from Hanabi, I couldn't help but think of Chōji's kid, Chōchō, from the last chapter. And let me just say, I still have questions in regards to how Chōji and Karui ended up together, but god damn, is their kid beautiful. Like, damn, good genes right there. I'm just…Chōchō is precious to me. As are the other children—they're beautiful, dammit! I don't know about you guys, but a lot of my OTPs ended up being canon and just…yeah… I needed a moment when I heard.

Also, I think it should be fairly obvious who Hound is by now. Anyways, I got a lot of anonymous reviewers from the last chapter and it's nice seeing that you guys are giving yourselves names to differentiate yourself. Except reviewer #120 had the luck of just being guest, so I'll give an honorable mention to anonymous reviewers **Renton** and **Pinoy**. Shout out goes to **HungryLioness** for being reviewer #130! Also, shout out to **tsubame . hayakaze **(remove spaces), for being a _Jojo_ fan! Love your SI OC fic, _Scarlet Waters_, by the way!

Speaking of SI OC fics, I did a second read-through of _Catch Your Breath_ by **Lang Noi** (which I highly recommend) and I made a bit of a discovery. Ahaha, looks like I wasn't the only one who named Hinata's mother, Himawari…but seriously, that fucking coincidence with Uzumaki Himawari. I will NEVER get over it. Because days before I found out about Uzumaki Himawari, I was asking **ChibiFoxAI** for an opinion of whether to name Hinata's mother, Himawari or Hinagiku (daisy). She preferred Himawari (I was already leaning towards it because of the meaning it held in Japanese), so I went with it and just…ya.

So nineteen chapters, huh? Yeah, I feel accomplished. I'm gonna hit that milestone soon, that being me getting this story past twenty chapters. It's been a slow run so far, but I smell a time skip coming sometime in the future. So watch out.

And Neji/Chōko is still in the lead, Shikamaru/Chōko in second, and Naruto/Chōko has been getting a lot of support as of recently, like wow. They're still young, so it won't really take effect until they're older, but again, it's something to keep in mind. I am also aware that Ino has had the least interactions in this story and I'll try to fix that.

So I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, because I sure did! A lot of you guys were pretty happy with Gaara, so I hope I didn't botch anything up with this chapter. So that's it for now, until next time everyone! KD out! XD


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